Choices, Lovers, and Awaited Happy Endings
by Kia Tenshi
Summary: REVISING! 20yrold Kagome has the sacred jewel, Naraku and Kikyo in hell. So many hard choices to make including having to leave either her family or Inuyasha forever. With so many mixed feelings she finds what she truly wants, but will he? InuKag SanMir
1. The Dream

"Inuyasha, have you seen my bag?" Kagome asked as she looked around the ground for her overstuffed, yellow back-pack.

"Why ya askin' me?" He asked irritated, laying back on the grass a few feet away with his crossed arms as a pillow. "It's not like I ever take it for anything," Inuyasha snorted. Kagome silently fumed at his lie. "Why don't we just forget the bag and keep going? At this rate we'll never find Naraku."

Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo were all helping Kagome look for it; walking around and looking under bushes and behind trees. Shippo had even stuck his head in a few tree knots only to find rotting leaves or very put out squirrels. The tiny fox ran over and pulled at Kagome's skirt, "I don't think it's here Kagome. We've already looked everywhere."

"Hey!" Inuyasha poked her shoulder a little too hard. Kagome turned angrily but didn't say a word, staring as he had the overstuffed bag in his claw. "Here's your bag. Now can we go?"

"Inuyasha, where did you find lady Kagome's bag?" Miroku pointed as he came walking next to Sango.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Where _did_ you find my bag when none of us could find it!" Kagome made a face and pointed an accusing finger at him.

Inuyasha dropped the bag onto the ground and turned his back in ignorance to the others, "You left it at the village," He paused, then continued when his answer clearly didn't satisfy her, "Did you forget I can smell a lot better than any of you?"

"But why didn't you say anything earlier?!"

"I didn't feel like it okay? Now lets go."

Sango and Miroku looked at each other with questionable faces, a hint of exasperation. "Kirara." Sango called. A second later the feline popped out of the rat whole she had dug out, ran towards her master, and exploded with flames, growing to her full size. She hissed energetically.

Inuyasha crouched down to let Kagome on his back. "Leave that thing here Kagome, by the well."

Kagome frowned as she set her bag beside the magical well, her connection between the feudal world and her present time. "Okay, I'm ready." She said as she threw her bow and pack of arrows over her shoulder before getting on Inuyasha's back.

She held on as he took off, leading the others who rode on Kirara. 'I barely just get here and the first thing he asks me is if I sense jewel shards. Not even a hi. He's such a jerk sometimes, I can't beleive him!' Kagome ranted on to herself.

All of a sudden, Kagome felt pain. Not just prick-your-finger pain, but the kind that spread like fire, licking every inch of her body, slithering through her arms, legs, fingers, neck, skull...and sending her head into a real. All she could think of was that she hurt, that she needed the hurt to stop. She could focus the cause of it in her stomach. She realized she wasn't on Inuyasha back anymore, she was falling. Her hand was reaching up, out, but no one noticed. She tried to scream, call for help but all that came out of her mouth was a quiet, pitiful whisper as she hit the ground.

..:~*~:..

Kagome jerked up, still screaming, throwing the top half of the sleeping bag off of herself. The cold shivers started running through her spine and to her fingers and toes as she looked around frantically. There was nothing but the dark, still forest to greet her, and the dying fire.

Inuyasha jumped down from his branch in the tree. "What is it? What happened?" He asked quickly. "Is it the fragment? Where is it?"

"Oh...no." Kagome replied quickly, trying to sound cheery, slightly embarrassed now. "It...was nothing! I'm fine, just go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Miroku looked up from where he was leaned against a tree, his staff slanted to the side a bit..

Sango sat up, Shippo on her pillow, "Yeah, Kagome. You screamed out Inuyasha's name."

"Is it the last jewel shard?" Shippo asked through groggy sleepiness.

"No, no. Not that. Really I'm fine! It was just a bad dream I guess." She rubbed the back of her head.

Inuyasha sat down crossing his arms, "Feh. A bad dream, was that all? And here I was all worked up thinking it might be the last piece of the sacred jewel!" He huffed in frustration.

"Now Inuyasha, that's no way to talk to Kagome like that!" Shippo pouted his lip, scrambling over to him, jumped up, and hit the back of his head.

Sango and Miroku sighed in unison, "Here it comes."

Inuyasha growled, "Why you little...!" he punched Shippo's head in return.

Kagome sat rigid, "Inuyasha stop that! He's only little!"

Shippo smirked and stuck out his tongue. Inuyasha reached down and grabbed the little child by the tail, ready to fling him across the campsite.

"Inuyasha..."

"Here it comes," Sango and Miroku said once again.

"Oh no!" Shippo scampered away from him, Inuyasha frantically waved his hands in front of him, as if warding away some invisible force. "Don't say it...!"

"SIT!"

BAM

"He needs to learn to control his anger, " Sango shook her head, standing up. "Kagome, you've been carrying too much stress lately." She glared sideways to the crater in the ground and the twitching limbs coming out of it, "How about we go find a springs to calm your nerves?"

"I don't know, maybe I should sleep some-"

"You will get plenty of rest, but right now you need to relax."

"Yeah, okay." Kagome stood, walked along beside Sango. Shippo followed close behind.

Miroku lifted a finger, "Perhaps you may need prote-"

"No thanks!" Sango yelled furiously.

Miroku bowed his head in defeat. The trio had disappeared through the trees by the time Inuyasha managed from his crater, complaining, debris littering his silver mane.

"You're never going to learn, are you?" Miroku stated in a feigned hopeless tone.

"Oh shut up! You're one to talk, perverted monk!" Inuyasha growled back.

For a moment Miroku studied the half demon, pondering how the two of them had ever become friends...or when. How strange it was that the most dangerous demon of all...or else collection thereof...was solely responsible for creating that possibility. And how long ago was it that he, Miroku, had stopped perusing Kagome? Was it when Sango came along? Or had he noticed Inuyasha's feelings for her even back then? That was so long ago...

"Hey! Did you here me?!" Inuyasha demanded, snapping the monk out of his concentration.

"Not at all."

"She thinks _these _things," Inuyasha held the beads around his neck, "Give her and I some kind of connection, or something ridiculous like that. But all she really wants is utter control." After a moment of thinking it over he added, "Whatever, it won't be a problem when I'm a full demon. I broke them last time, I'll do it again."

"But last time you also nearly killed Kagome," Miroku pointed out.

Inuyasha winced at that comment. He had felt guilty ever since then but apologies seem so small considering what he could have done. "That's only because she put herself in danger! I didn't ask her to risk...and besides I was under a spell."

"Hmm," Miroku looked away, feeling sorry for both Inuyasha and Kagome. Who he felt sorry for the most he couldn't tell. If Inuyasha finished his quest, they both would lose a great deal.

Silence overtook them. Miroku stared off into the trees, occasionally looking into the sky. Inuyasha just stared into the flames. He was going to become full demon, at any price. He jerked, questioning himself...any price? Kigome's image came into mind. The thought of what she had done, of what he had afflicted upon her with his own hands, the look on her face...could he bare all of it again?

He shook his head sharply. None of that mattered.

* * *

Obviously, this story is years old and I've grown a bit in literary talents. So, I have planned to revise this story. I will note on the bottom of each chapter if it is revised or not. The chapters are still kind of short, but I try not to discourage with super-long chapters. Hope everyone enjoys!


	2. Last Dragon

(revised)

..:~*~:..

Kagome rested her head back onto a low rock as she settled into the steaming water, her glossy black hair waving about her face and swirling in the water. "Ah, this feels so nice," She sighed contentedly.

"Yeah!" Shippo agreed with a full smile on his face, floating on his back.

Sango looked over at the two as she was attempting to relax herself. "I wonder what the guys are doing now that we've left them alone."

"Probably still pouting..." Shippo shook his head giggling.

"Knowing Inuyasha, he most likely is complaining off a storm," Kagome slipped under the water, resurfacing a moment later gasping from the heat. Her skin had begun turning a slight red in a few places.

They all felt the weight of the silence come over them. Kagome thought quietly to herself. 'We've only one more piece of the sacred jewel to find now. But Naraku still has most of the jewel already. After this last one is found he'll be sure to come after us.' She looked at Sango then Shippo, then lifted the bottle filled with bright lavender colored shards to eye level. 'And after we find it...he won't need me anymore.' She felt the oncoming flood of emotions growing in her chest that spread and made the goose bumps crawl, despite the warmth of the water. She fought back tears started to swell into her eyes at the thought of Inuyasha telling her to leave. How could she allow herself to be so weak? After all this time, these years of coming here, she had learned to ignore it, to push back how she felt. He didn't care anyway. He only wanted one thing, and she wasn't apart of it...only his way of getting it. She had to shake her head to keep from crying, 'What's wrong with me? It's not like I wanted to stay in the first place! I just had to help collect the shards because it was my fault the jewel shattered. Nothing else!' But Kagome couldn't keep from feeling the pit of emotions in her stomach, gnawing at her flesh. 'Inuyasha...' A vision of him smiling and holding out his hand to her came into her mind.

"Kagome?" Sango touched her shoulder, waking her from her thoughts, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kagome scolded herself for getting so flustered.

"You just seemed to get so sad all of a sudden," Shippo , swam to her side.

Kagome smiled, "I'm just fine! I was just thinking for a second, that's all!" Then a strange thought came into her head, 'Isn't he almost too old to be here with us?'

..:~*~:..

Inuyasha stompped around impatiently, "Where are they? It's been long enough."

Miroku sighed, "Just be a little more patient, Inuyasha. They should be done any..."

"We're back!" Shippo came running up to him.

"See?" Miroku smirked.

Inuyasha just scowled at Kagome as she walked up, "Took you long enough! At this rate we'll never find the last sacred jewel shard! Why do you have to be so slow?"

Kagome stood in front of him, "All I wanted was to get clean, Inuyasha! Can't I even do that without getting chewed out?" She picked up her bow and pack of arrows and threw them over her shoulder. "Let's go."

"Kirara." Sango called.

Miroku and Shippo climbed onto Kirara with Sango. Inuyasha crouched, hesitantly, for Kagome, "Right."

Kagome felt a familiar jolt of electric energy through her body, but faint. "Inuyasha...it's close by," She said into his ear.

"All right! Now we're talking. Which way Kagome?"

Kagome took a moment to determine the direction it came from. "Over near that mountain..." She pointed to a small bump in the distance.

"Are you kidding?!" He said irritated then changed his mood, "Hold on tight!" He sped up the pace, running and leaping as fast as he could with her on his shoulders. Wind ripped passed them tussling their hair together like dancing lovers. The mountain gradually grew taller and taller until they stood at the base of a tall cliff.

"Sango! Miroku! Do you think you can see what's ontop of this cliff?" Kagome shouted to them.

"No problem!" Sango replied. The giant feline flew straight up for what seemed forever, then to Kagome's surprise vanished almost into nothing.

"What was...?" Inuyasha started. Then Kirara came to view again, coming back down.

Landing beside Inuyasha and Kagome, Sango started to explain what was up there. "It's just a flat landscape. Completely barren...lifeless."

"Yes but there's something overwhelmingly powerful up there." Miroku warned. "I thought it might have been a mere presence of a demon spirit but I'm not so sure."

"Yeah well, I wanna know how it is you were completely out of sight then reappeared out of nowhere!" Inuyasha commanded, bewildered.

Sango gave him a confused look, "What are you talking about?"

Kagome explained how they had seemingly disappeared as they rose higher into the air. As she explained it to them she thought to herself, 'You'd think we'd be used to this stuff by now.'

Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "It could some kind of barrier."

"But if there's a barrier that can make things seem as if they're not there, then what we saw might not have been real," Sango said.

Inuyasha growled angrily, "Shut up and let's just get up there and see for ourselves!" He jumped ahead onto a small ridge, then another, and another, climbing the side of the cliff with gaining speed. Kagome didn't like the feeling that was settling into her gut right now. She felt uneasy about something, something that was about to happen. And it wasn't good either. "Inuyasha, I..." She started, then stopped. It wouldn't matter.

"Did you say something?" Inuyasha asked.

"No."

He landed at the top, letting Kagome slip to the ground. It appeared to be just what Sango said, lifeless rock. Inuyasha took a few steps forward, Kagome stayed back, still trying to decipher this feeling she had and deciding if she should say something. She knew he wouldn't listen to her...after years with him she's at least learned that much.

"Hey! Come look at this." Inuyasha's voice called. He was gone.

Kagome ran the way he had gone and her mouth dropped open. What a second ago seemed to be just a flat land, was now a feild. Flowers of white fluttered delicately, the tips dipped in shimmering gold. The grass was a dark lush green, soft and inviting. Everything seemed to sing aloud and low and soft. And the sense of the jewel was becoming stronger now. "It's-"

Kirara came up behind. The giant cat hissed, her hair on end and claws fully extended. She had become uneasy as well. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were as surprised as Kagome was, taking in what non of them had ever come across before in their travel. Why haven't they come across this before? It was strange...

"Okay Kagome. We're here. Now where is the jewel shard?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"You don't need to go to it. It's coming straight for us."

"That saves me the trouble of hunting it down!" Inuyasha said excitedly.

But nothing happened, just the same light breeze that made all the grass flow. Almost like a cool wave of green. Kagome yelled, "Inuyasha! It's right below us...!"

A huge snake-like form crashed through the surface, scales glossy brown and razor sharp, barely missing Kagome.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. He looked up at the creature spurting from the earth. It was becoming so tall, he could barely see the entire damn thing.

"It's a dragon, Inuyasha!" Miroku took a surprised breath and started throwing his spells. Sango had already started after it with her Hiriakotsu with Kirara hissing dangerously lethal at her side.

"Get Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled at them, distracted by the size of the beast.

The dragon reared up, wings outspread against a pale sky, revealing a struggling Kagome in his left claw. "Human girl?" The voice was deep and dark like an endless black pit engulfing the mind. It laughed darkly, "A delightful meal!" He seemed to sneer with teeth alined in his upturn mouth. He dove headfirst back into the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha swung the wide bladed Tetsuaiga at the disappearing dragon's back to have it reverted back to him. He was thrown back to the ground, catching himself the last moment. By the time he righted himself the dragon had gone, the earth rumbled a disgruntled sound.

"Damn it!"

Sango and Miroku looked around instinctively as if they would find her. Shippo climbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder, shivering, "W-where do you think he c-could have taken her Inuy-yasha?" He asked nervously.

"How am I supposed to know?!" He snapped. He got down on his hands and knees and sniffed the ground. "That bastard couldn't have gotten far though." Inuyasha said as he got up and ran in the opposite direction of the cliff they had just climbed and away from the group, leaving them to exchange looks.

"We'd better follow him," Miroku stated, running after Inuyasha beside Sango. 'Duh,' Shippo thought to himself following behind.

* * *

Okay...I put "revised" at the top, so the reader will know if it has been. Here's another way to see if my chapter's have been revised: Old chapters are not properly upper-cased, new chapters will be. I hope readers are enjoying it! Please if the next chapter isn't revised...don't read ahead. If you really want to, go ahead, but it's a suggestion because I'm trying to make the story much better.


	3. Inuyasha's Emotions

(revised)

..:~*~:..

When the horrible sounds of crashing and tumbling receded, Kagome finally opened her eyes. Up until now, she had them tightly closed out of fear; she didn't like the idea of being trapped miles underground, much less if it was with a giant hungry dragon. But the dragon had stopped moving and the feeling of dirt slapping her face was gone, leaving the tingle of being hit earlier, so she risked a glance around. She wasn't underground...well, okay she was but not exactly _buried_. She was in a cave. It wasn't exactly the dripping limestone and stalagmites, dark-and-creepy kind of cave out of children's horror movies that one would expect, it was all smoothed out. The walls were as smooth and brilliant as woven silk on creamy marble, and they glittered with a silver web-like material. Kagome could even barely make out tiny traces of gold thread laced along the walls the shimmered so faintly it made her want to cry. The luminescent glow that came from seemingly nowhere made it ever more beautiful.

She tried to move but something that was holding onto her tightened it's grasp and almost took the breath out of her. It made her worry that her ribs might just crack under the pressure. Kagome looked up and a dirt brown-green, snake form looked back at her with slitted yellow eyes. Behind him, she saw the purple, transparent wings that spread out in terrifying magnificence against the creamy white walls. She wanted to scream.

"Don't," the beast warned. He seemed to have trouble speaking with his enormous size, so was simplifying his speech. "Underground. It'll accomplish nothing," The deep, voice boomed, echoes off the cave walls sounded like thunder. If it hadn't been for the cave his voice would probably have sound smoother. She resisted covering her ears.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded stupidly. "What do you want with me down here?"

"Patience," was all the dragon said, the resonance throbbing through her head.

"Put me down! Let go!" She struggled against his talon to get free but the claws tightened still and started to pierce her skin, the scales ripped her clothing.

If she hadn't know any better, she could have said he began to smile. No, not smile...smirk. He was smirking. The dragon looked towards the walls of silk, something in his forehead caught in the glowing light and threw off a beam of white and lavender.

'The jewel shard!' Kagome whispered, staring at him.

But the dragon threw her against the wall, his talon heavy against her body, and some kind of silver material flew out of the spot in his head. It was sticky! "Uh! So gross!" She whined. He removed his talon...and she didn't fall! She was stuck to the wall! 'I have to get out!' Kagome started thrashing and kicking with all her strength, but it didn't do her any good. In another situation she would have laughed at the cliche of it all, 'I should be sick of getting kidnaped and covered with things that are disgusting and unknown.'

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" She started to scream. Even as she was screaming, she felt stupid. He only cared about getting his jewel shard, and he was going to come with or without her screams.

All the dragon did was slither out of the gigantic cave-room, laughs rumbling sending the walls into sharp vibrations.

Kagome kept screaming and thrashing, the same fear of dying here, away from home, rising in her chest. "Inuyasha!"

..:~*~:..

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could across the grounds, sniffing and looking around wildly. "Kagome! Where the hell are you?" The land seemed much wider than they first suspected.

Miroku was starting to have a hard time keeping up, breathing hard, he ran alongside Inuyasha, "Inuyasha, you'll never find lady Kagome like this!" He reasoned.

Sango and Shippo had gotten on Kirara and was right behind the two boys. Kirara stopped with a jerk, pricking her ears back and forth. "Wait! Inuyasha stop!" Sango yelled.

"What?!" He asked, annoyed. He turned, then foudn what she was talking about. Miroku bent down, grateful for the pause, breathing heavily.

Kirara put her ear to the ground and whined in her throat. Inuyasha looked at her then sniffed the ground, "It's Kagome! She'...underground!" He drew his Tetsuaiga and growled as he lifted it up high in the air above his head. The others barely realized in time to jump out of the way. "WIND SCAR!" He threw the sword's weight down into the ground and the ground immediately started to crack and blow apart. Chunks of dirt and grass flew like shrapnel, the group dodged them quickly. Miroku covered Sango from the flying pieces of gravel and rocks, one hand over her head so it wouldn't be hit, the other found it's way to Sango's bottom. Sango glared at him with a fatal look.

SLAP!

"Keep your hands to yourself, pervert!"

Miroku rubbed his cheek which now glowed red, "I was only making sure you weren't harmed in any way!"

"I can take care of myself thank you very much!" She scowled.

Shippo thought to himself, 'This has gotten so old between these two.'

Inuyasha stood in front of them with his great sword rested on his shoulder, "Can we go? You two can settle this later after we've gotten the jewel shard!" He turned and ran for the hole he had just made in the ground into some kind of cave looking thing.

"A...cavern?" Sango asked, feeling the white, silky walls. "It looks like silk," She stated.

Inuyasha growled and started down the long cave angrily, "I don't give a damn what it is! Let's find that bastard and rescue Kagome!"

"He's right, let's go Sango," Miroku looked at her face before hurrying after Inuyasha. He laughed to himself...that never gets old!

..:~*~:..

Kagome, still thrashing and screaming in her web like imprisonment, was starting to lose her voice. The dragon crashed into the cave-room obviously annoyed and furious, growing with wrath.

"Inuyasha! Help!" She screamed again, desperate.

"Silence!" The dragon brought down a claw beside her head threatening to smash her skull and making the walls tremble.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed, ignoring the dragons threatening stomps.

"I said silence!" He raised his claw into the air once again looking as though he planned to bring it down onto her this time. Inuyasha crashed through a wall on the oppisite side of the room. He saw the raised claw, the dragon's eyes glaring down at Kagome, teeth bared. Instantly he became frantic and horribly outraged at the same time and yelled, "Kagome!" The dragon turned his head.

"Inuyasha, hel-" The dragon brought down his talon throwing a claw into Kagome's middle, making her scream stop abruptly with a sickening shudder. The blood ran down his claw and spilled, staining her shirt as it dripped to her green skirt before falling onto the creamy white behind her. Inuyasha felt his heart stop. All he could see was how she bled in the dragon's claw, how she looked at him before she became limp. His body went numb.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha raised his Tetsuaiga. He had to kill him. "I'll rip you to shreds you bastard!" He snarled, ready to destroy the beast, obliterate every part of his being.

"You destroy _my_ cave, making demands of _me_ and dare raise your sword in challenge?! This girl's life belongs to me now!" His deep, raspy voice laughed. The dragon stood on his legs to steady himself as his nostrils filled with gray smoke and sparked with bits of fire and ash.

"How dare you hurt her!" Inuyasha snarled, growing more wrathful by the second.

There was a pause in the cave, as if the dragon considered something before he spoke low and deadly, "What's this? A demon...in love with a girl?" The dragon breathed in then snorted, creating large sparks of flame. His talon moved slightly, letting Kagome tilt over slightly. "Only a half breed. Fine, I will have mercy and devour you first!" He lunged foward, mouth agape and ready to sink his fangs into the half demon that challenged before him. Kagome fell to the floor in a heap of silk, blood still pooling around her.

"Will you shut up already!" Inuyasha growled as he ran toward the dragon. He swung his sword, didn't even say the words, but filtered all his rage into the throw, thrusting the blade into the head of the dragon as the wave of demonic aura ran down it's back. The raspy voice screamed in agony as the shard fell from his head onto the floor. The light became unbearable to look at, and Inuyasha covered his eyes with his sleeve. When he was able to see again, the dragon was gone, the shard peacefully on the floor. "Damn it!" Inuyasha quickly looked to Kagome. Sango and Miroku were trying their best to free her from the silky imprisonment, but nothing they tried would work. Shippo only tugged a tiny piece.

"Stand aside," Inuyasha demanded darkly. They moved as quickly as they could and he slashed the material with his claw, it immediately dissolved. Inuyasha took Kagome up in his arms, her head pulled back grotesquely limp. He moved so that hear head came up and was listlessly resting against his chest.

"Kagome...wake up Kagome!" He shook her as if to wake her from a dream, but not too hard.

Sango stood next to Miroku who stood over Inuyasha, both were watching anxiously. Shippo hid behind Kirara, crying horribly.

"Kagome! Wake up!" He shook her violently now.

Sango put a hand on his shoulder, "Inuyasha, it won't do any good. We have to get her to the surface. We need to dress her wounds."

"Yes, staying underground would make it worse," Miroku agreed timidly.

Shippo cried louder, "K-kag-gome-e!"

Sango walked over to him and held him in her arms until his cries reduced to sniffles. He was becoming to old to cry this way. She urged him onto Kirara, Miroku following.

Inuyasha carried Kagome, running ahead of them. He could feel the heat in his face, the soft burning in his eyes. It was his fault, always his fault this happened to her. Why did he put her in danger so often? Why could he protect her? He wasn't about to let them see him cry! Once on the surface he ran straight for the cliff, then to the ground; so quickly that the others really couldn't follow, and he didn't want them to. He raced into the woods, stopping at a small creek. They shouldn't be able to find him. He set Kagome down on the ground and nudged her ever so gently, guilty about shaking her, but she was still limp and didn't show any signs of movement. Although, through the overwhelming copper smell of blood he could feel her body's warmth still pulsing. He tore some of his clothing off and soaked it in the water. Turning back to Kagome, he lifted her shirt and started to clean the jagged hole in her middle. His stomach lurched. Not from the blood, but because the wound was so...so...

Wrapping the cloth around her waist and tying it off, he wiped his eyes vigorously. He felt utterly responsible...again. Why did this always happen?

"I'm sorry. I should have done more. I should have ran to you quicker. I should have been there to protect you! I'm sorry...I failed again. I'm sorry." He lifted her head lightly and embraced her. The fear was terrible. What would he do without her? He'd be lost. She'd never find out that-

"In...Inu..." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha jerked back and looked at her with surprise. "Kagome?"

She opened her eyes and looked up into his face. "Inuyasha," she sighed, relieved.

Inuyasha almost smiled and could have cried out if he hadn't been...he gasped and then let go of her quickly turning his back. He wasn't going to let her see him cry!

Kagome sat up weakly and leaned against a nearby tree, "You...?"

"Saved you? Yeah, like always. You get in a lot of trouble you know. I'm getting tired of rescuing you," He quietly scolded.

Kagome's voice was filled with greif and saddness, "I'm...sorry I keep causing trouble." Her voice cracked. He smelled the salt...whether his own tears or her's he couldn't tell. His head turned to look at her. Her eyes were wet, overflowing with tears she didn't even try to sniff away. Inuyasha suddenly felt another stab of guilt. "Look, you really worried me today," He spoke softer, "I thought...I could have lost you."

Kagome's face scrunched up with anger, "Yeah...then you wouldn't be able to find that last piece of your precious jewel." As she said it she knew it was wrong to say, but he had been hurting her for years of not caring about her in any way, playing with her. She wanted to hurt back a little.

Inuyasha jumped in front of her, crouching, "It's not...!" He had that look of his that he had at very rare times, the times when he had tricked her into thinking that he actually...his eyes gleamed. Kagome's eyes widened, 'Inuyasha...are you...?" Kagome just stared at him, "Are you...?"

Inuyasha sniffed and looked around as if to make sure no one was there. He spoke softly, "It's not like that. I thought I was going to lose you forever. That I wouldn't be able to see you again...that I wouldn't get to..." He sighed.

Kagome touched his face, "You thought I..."

Inuyasha grabbed her hand and jerked it away, the movement shocked her but not as much as the feeling of his body leaning onto hers. Their lips connected slowly, softly. Inuyasha felt the warmth in her cheeks grow and knew she was blushing. He wanted to smile. At first Kagome was surprised, if not for the tree and the piercing pain through her body she would have jumped back. Soon, though, she let herself go, relaxed, and leaned into it. Inuyasha's hand made it's way down the small of her back, gently, as the other came behind her head. He pulled her closer as if to keep her from ever leaving. Yet, the whole time he seemed wary of her injury.

Just as suddenly, he pulled away and stood up, "Let's go. They're calling us."

Kagome was still stunned as the old flow of greif ran over her. He was doing it again. The same old game, and she let it happen. He kept his eyes averted from her's. 'Did he just...?' He lifted her up...not on his back, but in his arms like one would carry his lover to bed.

It didn't take many strides before Kagome herself heard Miroku and Sango calling Inuyasha's name in the distance. She could tell they had the shard.

* * *

More revising is coming today!!


	4. Kikyo, the Dying Priestess

(revised)

..:~*~:..

Kikyo walked silently through the dark forest engulfed in trees and shrubbery, her robes floated menacingly around her. Her eyes, emotionless and cold, stared into the path ahead waiting for anything to happen. But nothing did, all was quiet...yet not at rest. Kikyo could tell something was amiss and wanted to find out what.

The bright soul collectors floated around her, clutching their little orbs of brilliant, white light. Souls of young woman, the source of keeping of her clay body in tact no thanks to Kagome. She herself didn't approve of the thought of stealing other's souls, but she had no choice. If she wanted to remain here and carry out what she set out for...she couldn't leave this world as long as Inuyasha stayed alive. No, in all these years she had been diligent that one day she'd drag him to hell with her and then, only then, will she be completely satisfied. She no longer loved him...and never fully understood why it was she was so fervent about it. Kikyo just placed the blame on that girl he protected, she always had. That girl was the reason for her misery, her...and Naraku. Inuyasha didn't deserve falling in love again. So far, Kikyo had accomplished at least that, her presence ensured it.

A rustling of leaves from the side of her path drew her attention.

"What do you want here?" Came a voice. It was small like a child's and light like a girl's.

Kikyo stopped but didn't turn, her soul collecters silently lifted into the air out of sight never disturbing the foliage about them. She waited.

"Answer me!" The tiny voice came again. It was almost amusing.

This time, Kikyo merely turned her eyes to get a glance at who it was that demanded her to speak.

It was a girl...no older than the age of eight, standing in front of a smaller boy that held a tight fist to his mouth. He looked at the priestess with big watery eyes.

"Where is your village?" Kikyo finally asked, speaking deliberately.

"Why do you wanna know?" The little girl attempted to sound threatening and stuck out her lower lip in a tiny pout.

Kikyo looked back at the path in front of her and started again, she had no thoughts of staying and talking aimlessly with this girl if that was all the reply she would recieve.

"Wait!" The tiny girl's voice sounded afraid now, more childlike than before. "Please..."

"What is your name girl?"

The girl looked up at her in surprise, "M-my name is Toriko. This is my brother, Hedeki," the boy hid his face within his sister's dirty frock. "Not to seem rude priestess but...w-where you going?"

Ah, she did understand manners after all. Now Kikyo fully turned to face the girl, "You are alone out here?"

"Our v-illage was attacked...our parents were..." she looked at the ground, at her toes that splayed about uncovered, looking like she was about to burst into tears. She pointed a weak finger at Kikyo, "You're a priestess right?"

"Yes. My name is Kikyo. I'm heading to a village past these woods," she lied. That had become normal of her. "Do you know of anyone there?"

"Our village was deeper in the trees that way," the girl pointed. "My brother and I have never been out of our own village untill today." Toriko kept her eyes on the ground, Kikyo could see them glittering with tears.

Kikyo thought for a moment. "Would you like to come with me?" She held out an inviting hand to Toriko. In reaction the small girl smiled in relief and grasped it as if it were about to save her life. Hedeki just held onto Toriko's hand, never saying a word, but Kikyo could tell he was smiling too.

..:~*~:..

Inuyasha walked with his ears perked and his hand rested protectively on the handle of his sword. They were walking through some thick brush on a path that hasn't been used for ages. He must've wanted to be ready in case anything would attack them. Nothing would take their jewel shards now.

He hadn't spoken a word to Kagome, or anyone, since that night. It was what he always did after an incident like that, probably hoping she'd forget. The other's knew it was a sign as well, they had learned by now. She wondered if he was avoiding her. Maybe it hadn't happened at all and she was just overreacting to some wild dream she had when she was passed out on the ground.

:Four nights ago:

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Where'd he go?" Shippo looked around anxiously. Inuyasha had ran off in rather a hurry and left him, Sango and Miroku behind to follow nothing but night. They had made it down the cliff but lost track of him after that. Shippo tried again, "Inuyash-" Then Inuyasha walked out from the side, startling the little fox.

Shippo ran to him, "There you are!" Then looking Inuyasha up and down asked, "W-where's Kagome...?"

Inuyasha pointed sharply behind him as Kagome stumbled over the underbrush.

"Kagome!" Shippo cried happily, looking at the stain in her clothing, "Are you okay?"

Sango and Miroku ran up to her elated and disheartened at the same time. She didn't even bother to pretend, "I'm afraid not..." She took another step and collapsed, Inuyasha twitched but Miroku caught her in his arms and said gravely, "We need to get her to Keade. Quickly."

Sango helped him get her onto Kirara, she and Shippo sat near her, Miroku in back. Inuyasha said nothing and ran behind them. His voice was probably still a little shaken, and he didn't what to say if it weren't.

"What's wrong with Inuyasha? He hasn't didn't a word." Sango turned to Miroku who sat right behind her.

"Yes, he does seem rather odd," Miroku made a face at her, and she guessed.

Shippo clung to Kagome's shirt, "Maybe he's just worried?" His innocent, child-like voice was high with concern.

"Maybe so," Miroku looked back, "We should leave him be for now."

After arriving at the village, Kagome had remembered waking up and being told Inuyasha hadn't left her side for three days straight, but he had gone out to get water only minutes earlier. Keade had said that he hadn't spoken to anyone either. Inuyasha never did come back to the hut with water, only when they were getting ready to leave did he come into sight. Kagome didn't speak to him either.

Now they were heading to hunt down Naraku to claim the rest of his shards. Or so she figured. Inuyasha wouldn't give up that mission for so long. Sango and Miroku both tried to talk Inuyasha out of it, telling him that Kagome wasn't healed and couldn't handle such a trip so soon. But he wouldn't respond to them, only shoved them aside.

Kagome came back into reality, walking far behind Inuyasha. Sango walked beside her keeping a close eye on her every step, both of them in front of Miroku. She watched sadly as Inuyasha was ahead...by himself. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him, his every movement seemed to cast a spell over her. It started bringing up all the old feelings she had the first year or so they were friends, if one could even call it that. She thought about the dragon, the cave, the crashing, Inuyasha, then...Oh no! She forgot about the jewel shard! "Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled to him.

He turned his head with that look of concern on his face that made her heart leap from her chest, he was trying his hardest to hide it, but Kagome caught it. She was stunned by the intense glare he was giving her after he righted himself. "What?" He snapped.

"At t-the cave...w-we for...got..." She sputtered.

"Spit it out already!" He said impatiently.

"We didn't get the shard," Kagome tried to say it as quietly as possible.

Shippo quickly got between them and held up his hand, "Here Kagome." He dropped the shard into her palm. Oh yeah...now she remembered feeling it when they had met up with the others.

Kagome thanked him and put it inside her little bottle she kept hidden in her clothing. When she looked up Inuyasha was walking again, turned away from her. The thought that the simple action implied made her want to burst out crying, but she knew better.

"I snatched it as we were running out of the cave. How come it wasn't evil Kagome?" Shippo walked beside her.

"I'm... not sure Shippo," she was too distracted and felt too exhausted to think about it.

..:~*~:..

Kikyo watched as the two chilred ran off happily into the village that was nestled between the hills just a little ways ahead. She knew they'd be taken in gladly by any elders that lived there. They wouldn't be seeking her again...good. Now that her task was finished, she turned to continue on her way. As she turned there was a sharp stab of pain which shot through her body, everything ached and burned and tingled. She fell to the ground clutching her stomach, sounds of pain escaping her mouth. The soul collectors around her began to flicker and twitch quickly, dropping souls that absorbed into her body. It didn't seem to help, and the collectors themselves seemed to be suffering. Suddenly, all the souls burst from her chest in a wild tangle of motion jerking her right and left, flying out of her.

"What's happening? What is this?" She yelled in anguish.

Then all stopped, she fell to the ground in a heap. Weakly, she lifted herself onto her knees and looked at her hands. They were changing somehow, paler? She glared at her skin as the rest of her body did the same. The color drained from her clay-born skin.

"I 'm disappearing," She said astonished and furious. "My time here is almost up and not even stealing the souls of others can help me now." She clenched her fist and stood. "I must find Naraku."


	5. Fight

(revised)

..:~*~:..

"Damn," Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. He looked up at the black, empty sky outside the shack window and scowled in distaste. He held the handle to his Tetsaiga and leaned his head forward onto it. It was his night; his claws were gone, his fangs, his ears, the silver hair had turned a glossy jet black, and pure human blood ran through his body. All his defense was stripped to nothing. Not even was he allowed to keep his sense of smell. He felt powerless.

"Inuyasha," Kagome stepped into the doorway keeping the hanging cloth that served as a door over the opening so no onlookers could view inside.

"What do you want?" he ask huffly.

"I-" She came all the way inside his meager hut and put her fist to her mouth nervously.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, straining to see her in the failing light of late evening. He so much wished he had his demon senses right now. He could always tell how Kagome was feeling and thinking by listening to her change in heartbeat, and her intoxicating smell. Her scent always calmed him somehow, kept him under control, sane, and now that he couldn't smell it he grew agitated. As she stood there, he brooded about how much he wanted to know what was going through her head.

"Well...?" He asked impatiently.

"I came to stay with you," Kagome dusted her skirt in a matter-of-fact fation and sat on the other side of the small hut. Her foot was close enough to touch his. From where she sat she could take in all of what had changed in him. The energy he gave off was no longer full of malice and anger. His hair was dark and contrasted so perfectly with his skin. The way his body tensed with every breath...

"Feh. It's not like I need protection or anything. Especially from _you_," Inuyasha turned his head to the door pretending to be interested in what might chance through it next.

Kagome stared at him with subtle pleading eyes, "Hey...Inuyasha."

"Huh. Yeah Kagome?" He could tell by her voice that something was on her mind, even without his demon half and all it's senses. It sounded like it was serious. He prepared himself for the scolding he knew was coming.

"You...just talked to me," She said it as if it were a big surprise.

He let a gust of air he hadn't realized he was holding, "So? Why is that so important all of a sudden?"

"It's just that you haven't been talking to me for the past few days and...and to tell you the truth I was starting to worry." She tapped her index finger on her knee not looking him in the eye. That simple gesture made his heart beat just a little faster and he had no idea why. He hoped she wouldn't notice. Her hair was gleaming beautifully in the night light, now that his eyes had adjusted. The curve of her face as she looked down with expression was milky smooth. Inuyasha wanted to reach out his hand and brush it against her skin.

"Don't be stupid, you're just overreacting," Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. His breath was beginning to increase. He had to stop looking at her.

"Well sorry for being concerned," Kagome replied, her voice raising a bit in tone and vigor.

"Well don't be! You have nothing to be concerned about!" Inuyasha leaned forward.

"Fine!" Kagome stood up in a huff, making Inuyasha throw his head back and hit the wall. She stormed out of the hut, almost ripping off the cloth behind her.

Inuyasha just watch her leave and sat in silence.

..:~*~:..

Miroku and Sango sat back leaning upon back against each other as the fire just beside them flicked embers and ash into the air. The smell of burning wood and dead leaves engulfed them all in a soft relaxing way. Shippo lay next to the warm flames and Kirara slept quietly in Sango's lap, every now and again letting out a tiny 'mew'..

Miroku turned his staff to his opposite hand, the side that had been facing the fire was starting to burn. He looked uneasily towards the direction Kagome had gone, the direction of the hut that they had forced Inuyasha to stay in. Why did he make this so difficult? Both he and Sango knew that she had gone up there get him to talk.

Sango shook her head, "I don't get those two. Why does everything have to be so complicated?"

"I don't know. Inuyasha needs to grow up and be more like you guys." Shippo fidgeted with a small twig. He began breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces.

"I have noticed for a long time how lady Kagome keeps distance between her and Inuyasha, "the monk paused, thinking back.

Sango thought a moment, wondering if she should suggest this idea aloud, "I think it's been years, Miroku. Kagome has basically cut off her emotions completely from Inuyasha. She's been bottling them up, ignoring them. Until...just recently."

Shippo flipped himself over, never looking their way, "I don't blame her. Inuyasha gives her so much grief."

"Maybe something happened that night we don't know about," Miroku leaned his head against his staff then pulled back quickly as it had burned his forehead.

Just then a small little spec of a figure jumped onto Miroku's shoulder, barely making itself noticed, "Where is master Inuyasha?" Miyoga asked into his ear.

"He and Kagome are up in the hut," Shippo pointed to the path. He heard the two yelling just that moment with his small demon hearing and immediately regretting telling the flea. "But I wouldn't..."

"I must speak with him. It is of dire importance!" Miyoga started to the path that lead into the trees.

All three of them sighed and shook their heads.

Miyoga made his way up the cluttered path, a small rather old hut came into his view and he landed right under the cloth-made door. Kagome burst out of the shack and stormed off, just barely missing Miyoga on the way. Watching her rush off he patted his head with relief. After gathering himself up, he went inside. Inuyasha had his back to the doorway and his arms were crossed with scowl etched on his face. Miyoga knew something must be on his mind.

"Master Inuyasha! Master...Inu...yash...a-" Miyoga's voice trailed off. He felt hungry. He landed on Inuyasha's neck and stuck his flea-like mouth into the skin eating his fill. Inuyasha grumbled in annoyance and slapped his neck, the poor little flea falling into his palm.

"Why even bother, it won't taste good right now anyways. What do you want Miyoga?"

"Well! If you don't mind I was ravished from my hard and perilous journey and thought you would so kind as to gain some of my strength in exchange for some news I gathered for you."

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha scoffed at the flea's over dramatics. "So what is it?"

"I was on my way to check in on you when I stumbled upon Kikyo."

Inuyasha stiffened a moment, the familiar cold chill running through his spin, "You saw Kikyo?" He asked in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"Yes and I think something might be wrong with that...falsely clay body of her's."

"What?!"

"She seemed, rather, much in pain and all the souls in her body were escaping. One by one they flew out of her. She said something that I was unable to detect. Something about not much time and Naraku," Miyoga, now sitting on Inuyasha's hand, itched his head in confusion and discomfort. He hadn't ever had much likeness to that priestess, she always gave him a bad feeling.

"So, you're saying...Kikyo's dying?!" Inuyasha stood up suddenly, either anger or fear rising in his voice, Miyoga couldn't tell.

Inuyasha stomped to the cloth door and flung the weak material ripping it from it's nails. Kagome had been standing there and his hand smacked into her face before he could react, she fell backwards. Inuyasha's eyes grew wide as he saw her sitting there in the dark...alone. How long had she been there? What had she heard? She looked up to him, straight into his eyes with that same look she always gave him when Kikyo came up. He could see her heart breaking all over again, her hopes shattered, her purpose erased. She looked as if she were about to cry. Inuyasha felt his own heart sink. He was doing it again. Had she been listening this whole time? He didn't know what to do or what to say to her, he just stood there and stared with wide eyes.

"K-Kagome?! Were you...?"

Kagome stood up. Her body stood rigid, despite her wound. Her ebony hair hid her eyes from him. "I'm going home."

"Wait! Did you hear?" Inuyasha held out a hand as if to stop her. "Kagome! Answer me!" His voice sounded angry.

She turned away, her back to him. Her voice came in broken sobs, "Yes! Okay?! I heard you! I heard the whole thing!" She caught herself before she said too much. She became quieter, "If you want go see her so badly as to risk being seen like this...then I won't be here to worry about it. I'm going home!"

"Why...?!" He nearly pleaded.

She spun sharply jabbing a finger into his chest, "Because I'm so sick of worrying about you when you get like this! Kikyo's going to be the death of you! Do you know that?! She will KILL you!"

"Kagome-!"

She didn't allow him to speak, "Sango, Miroku, and I haved hard to keep this secret of yours, Inuyasha. Because we're your friends! We do what we can to protect you. What would I do if someone saw you like this?! What could I do then? Or worse, what if Naraku found out?! Who would protect you then, huh?!"

"Will you just-" Inuyasha reached out and tried to touch her extremely tensed shoulders, but she jerked away.

"SIT!"

"Wa-!"

"SITSITSITSITSIT!!"

BAMBAMBAMBAM. With each scream Inuyasha was crushed deeper into the ground.

"You're such a je-e-e-erk!" Kagome ran off into the woods wiping the tears from her face. Inuyasha was not going to her like this. After all he's done. She'll never come back this time. She won't. He's made his choice. Why did she still let herself hope? Inuyasha was sprawled in the ground inside the crater that the impact on his body had created. He let out a disgruntled groan. She was most likely going to ask to borrow Kirara and ride to the well that lead back to her time.

Miyoga came out from under his master's kimono wiping his forehead. "Lady Kagome! Wait!"

Inuyasha lifted his head from his hole, "That...was..." He stuttered as he sauntered in her direction.

..:~*~:..

Miroku got to his feet clumsily as Kagome came out and down the path. "Lady Kagome. You're not staying with Inuyasha?"

She steadied her voice, her wound burned ferociously. "No. Sango, can a borrow Kirara?"

"Sure. You're not going home are you?" She knew the answer even as she asked the question.

"Just...for a bit."

They could sense the lie in her voice.

Shippo turned his head as Inuyasha approached, "This is all your fault!"

"What's all my fault?" Inuyasha asked, agravated that he had been accused. He knew Shippo was right, though.

"You chased Kagome away...again! Now she's going home."

"Well it's not _my _fault if she suddenly decides to rush on home. It's her own decision," Inuyasha said stubbornly. "Maybe you should try convincing her to stay." 'She won't listen to me. Not anymore.'

But when they all looked Kagome and Kirara were both gone. Shippo ranted on and on about how stubborn Inuyasha could be. Inuyasha, though, was transfixed thinking about the feeling that swarmed up in his gut. It had been a long time since he had felt this worried about her coming back. Everything in his body said to go after her, make sure she's alright, go apologize, but he held back...like he always had.

"Those two are hopeless," Sango sighed to Miroku, who had inched a bit too close.


	6. Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Kagome

(revised)

..:~*~:..

_'That Inuyasha! He can be so heartless sometimes! That little...' _Kagome ranted on in her mind. She was perched on Kirara's back heading for the bone-eaters' well, and apparently not able to get Inuyasha off her mind. After all her hard work to get these feelings under control...Why did he have to be so...?

It made her unbearably sad to see him so hung up on Kikyo. Well...sad doesn't even start to explain it. It was more of a deep scar that had once been a deep cut on her from his constant, futile hope for a girl that was dead over her...and it refused to heal. It hurt. It hurt her all over when ever he spoke of Kikyo. Kagome's entire body would ache and twinge with sorrow, grief, jealousy, hate, love, loss, and so many other things that made her heart weak. She felt like she was being torn in two, almost betrayed. Or was it just the fact that she couldn't come between the bond Inuyasha shares with Kikyo and that her bond with him dangles dangerously on a tiny thread? Oh how easier it would be if her body would just let her die.

Kagome shook her head. What was she thinking? She must be losing her mind to be thinking of him like this. She wasn't in love with him, not anymore at least, how could she be after all this time?

And yet, a feeling of untruth arose in her stomach, making her feel sick. Even denying it hurt.

..:~*~:..

"Why don't you go after her Inuyasha?" Shippo cried, pulling on a human ear that was attached to an angry, human Inuyasha.

"Why should I? If she wants to go home then let her! It's not like I have enough problems anyway," Inuyasha turned his head away so he wouldn't be able to see the annoying nuisance that clung to his shoulder, pulling black hair by the handful. Inuyasha was laying on his side facing away from the fire that Sango and Miroku had been huddled around ever since the fiasco back at the little hut.

"Master Inuyasha, please reconsider. You're not yet a half demon again; and if you go now you'll be seen!" Miyoga swung on a thin strand of the black hair that hung over his masters' shoulders.

Inuyasha worryingly looked toward the horizon, hoping aimlessly for a glimpse of the morning sun. But none of such was there. He growled, becoming ever more impatient. He wanted to go see Kikyo, if what Miyoga had said was true then she needed him; but he also wanted to see Kagome and bring her, she must be really upset right now and he wanted to comfort her. But he knew that he couldn't leave for either of them if he was in his human form.

"Inuyasha you're so stupid! Swallow your stupid pride for once in your life and go!" Shippo now pulled a handful of hair with each hand.

"Will you get off me you runt!" Inuyasha threw Shippo off his shoulder and over the fire. The little fox's tail barely missed the tips of the sputtering flames. The poor kitsune slammed into a tree and slid to the ground groaning, a newfound bump was emerging on his tiny orange head.

"Inuyasha, don't be so cruel to him. He's just a little fella'," Miroku pointed out mockingly, and brought down his staff hard on top of Inuyasha's head.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?!"

"We all know you want to go see her," Sango pried, talking about Kagome.

Inuyasha didn't reply. Of course he did. He didn't want her to leave. For some reason he had a feeling that she may decide not to come this time. There have only been a few number of times when he had been afraid of upsetting so much that she would not return. He knew if he went to her she would, but didn't know if he could get himself up to it. He made a sort of growling sound, but it sounded odd from his human throat. He stood up, ignoring anything the other four said to him, and determinedly walked into the gathering of trees. He headed for the well.

..:~*~:..

Kagome stood at the edge of the well looking down. This was how she had stayed for the last few minutes...just staring down that endless abyss. She didn't want to go back, she wanted to stay with Inuyasha and make sure he wouldn't put himself in any danger. But she was so upset she thought she might explode and she couldn't take the risk of him seeing her like this, in tears. Him and his pride!

She glanced back over her shoulder as if to expect the silver and red blur that usually came to take her back, but she knew it wouldn't happen. He didn't care enough._ 'Besides...Inuyasha isn't a half demon,'_ She tried to remind herself.

She felt something soft against her side. Kirara was rubbing her huge, demonic, feline head against Kagome very gently. What was wrong? Did she not want Kagome to leave?

"It's okay. I'll be back soon," Kagome put her hand on top of Kirara's head smiling broadly, trying to decide if she truly would come back so soon.

She turned back to the well, but still just stood there staring down it. She had a troubled feeling that she shouldn't leave, for some reason the thought of going home brought the annoying feeling that she was leaving Inuyasha.

Kagome shook her head scolding herself, "What am I thinking? It's not like that! I do this all the time," She tried to reassure herself.

..:~*~:..

Inuyasha glared stubbornly into the darkness; he couldn't see as well without his demon eyes, so he had to strain to see just five feet in front of him. Jeez, how did humans survive?

"Dammit Kagome," He muttered as he shoved a low hanging branch out of his way. The branch nicked his arm, leaving a little gash that Inuyasha barely even noticed.

Just then, from up ahead, he saw a thin, shimmering, white string of light. A soul collector! Kikyo's soul collectors were gathering souls. The collector veered off to the right, leading away from his path. Inuyasha made haste to follow after it. It lingered every here and there before flying off swiftly, but Inuyasha still kept up even without his demon half.

Before very long the collector dipped down into the tops of the trees, straight down. Inuyasha squinted into the distance.

"Kikyo," He muttered to himself.

Kikyo turned and looked right at him with a cold, unfeeling stare. The silence grew in icy stillness. He had to clench his hand to keep from shivering. He stared back at her, with caution. Did she seem paler?

Then, finally, Kikyo spoke, "Your hair is different," She said flatly. "Is this your one night to be human then?" She paused, knowing he wouldn't respond. "If I were still alive I'd be elated, but seeing as things have played out of my favor you must excuse my lack of enthusiasm."

"So the old flea was right. You are getting weaker," He stepped forward to her. "Let me help you."

There was a sharp flash of light and tiny shots of lighting flew about throwing him back, but he kept himself upright. The force came over him so suddenly, though, he couldn't breathe for a few short moments. He stared at her, shocked but not surprised.

"Stay away from me, Inuyasha," Kikyo warned darkly. "Or I shall have to dispatch you now."

"A barrier?" He was almost whining.

"I do not want to be attacked while I am so weak. It's a mere defense."

Inuyasha tried and tried to get into the barrier with no avail. "I only want to help." So he walked along side her watching each of her staggering steps desperately.

..:~*~:..

Kagome, having fought with herself for over an hour, had finally left the well in search of Inuyasha, _'I can't believe it's still so dark!' _She gaped at the sky above which was pitch black. Not even a star graced itself tonight.

She had figured it pointless to run back home when she knew Inuyasha needed herShe would only come right back. What if he got himself into trouble tonight? The uneasy feeling grew ever more troubling in her stomach. She looked up into the sky and, by chance, saw something white carrying a glowing orb of light.

"Kikyo," She spat out the name with huge distaste but it was quickly replaced with concern.

Knowing that all odds pointed to the fact that Inuyasha most likely followed one of those things too and went to Kikyo without any second thoughts, Kagome ran after it. She pushed her way through enclosing trees and bushes that threatened to grab her and pull her down. After what seem like an awfully agonizing run she came to find Kikyo with Inuyasha. The wound beneath her dressings had increased in intensity. She held a hand over it but the heat from her hand only made it worse. She willed herself not to breathe hard. Of course she had been right, there he was. Kagome knew not to get too close and hid herself straining to hear what was being said.

"Kikyo...Where are you going that you're so determined to get to?" Inuyasha held out a hand as if to touch her shoulder, but bewared the barrier that surrounded her. With every step she took it had gotten smaller and smaller around her body. Kikyo stopped in mid-stride, not turning to look at him.

"You want to know that badly?" She smirked to herself, pleased she could still have control over him. "I am dead Inuyasha. I've been walking this earth among the living for year now after fifty years of being where I was supposed to be. My time is running out. The spell is wearing off. That girl is getting her last bit of soul. My body cannot stay in the mortal world for very much longer. Souls even refuse to help me now. And when it is time for me to completely and utterly leave, the earth will crack open to hell and pull me in." She allowed the statement to settle before continuing. "I am to find Naraku before that time."

"So when it is time you can drag him down with you," Inuyasha finished for her in a hushed tone.

Kikyo let out a short, empty laugh, "Yes, that's what I am planning."

A cold feeling froze over Kagome and she covered her mouth. _'But he has all those sacred jewel fragements!'_

Kikyo began walking again, ignoring Inuyasha as if he were never standing before her, never spoke. Inuyasha walked behind not wanting to leave her, and Kagome found herself following both of them. At a safe distance, however. This should be getting old, spying on them like this. Shouldn't she have learned her lesson by now?

"What about the jewel shards he has?" He asked with a hint of anger growing within him.

She waited, letting him get himself worked up before answering, "I will take them to hell with me as well." Kikyo threw the words into the air without care.

"What?!" Inyasha gasped, taken aback.

Kikyo didn't reply after that.

Kagome turned away, this was too much for her to handle alone, and Inuyasha didn't have his demon side yet. He can't face Naraku yet! But oh, she knew he would if Kikyo was there. She would have to go back and get Sango and Miroku for help. _'This is it. Our last battle with Naraku...and our last chance to get the jewel. Inuyasha please just wait, the others and I will come to help you.'_


	7. Kikyo, NarakuTo Hell

(revised)

..:~*~:..

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome gasped between breaths, stumbling over rocks and stand-up roots. "Come quick! Inuyasha is-!"

At the sound of her exasperated voice both had jumped up in surprise, grabbing their weapons. They're eyes grew big at the sight of her, holding her stomach as she breathed heavily. Sango asked, "What is? What's happened to him?"

"What has he gone and gotten himself into now?" Miroku stepped forward, stumbling a little awkwardly.

"Kikyo...and him are going to find Naraku...to through him into hell...Inuyasha, and the jewel...will be dragged with her!" As she was saying it she could feel the chills the very thought of Inuyasha being sent to hell sent through her.

"We have to go help him," Shippo said, his voice awfully high pitched.

"In this state Inuyasha will be powerless to do anything to protect himself, " Miroku stated as he and Sango jumped onto Kirara. They all started off at a quick pace, but because of Kagome's state they could go as fast as they'd liked.

Sango thought a moment, reflecting on past experiences with Inuyasha and Kikyo, "I wonder if he even knows what he's getting himself into."

"If I know Inuyasha, he's probably all hung up over Kikyo and following her every step," Shippo said sourly.

Kagome frowned at the thought of this; she never liked it when Inuyasha went off to see his dead ex-lover, much less when the group talked about it like they were doing now. This was the whole reason she had given up on him in the first place, because she knew one day he'd be forced to choose between them and everyone regretfully knew who he'd choose. And he would do it without a second thought.

Sango happened to look over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of the look that was spreading across Kagomes' already exhausted face.

"Hey, Kagome..." She began.

Kagome snapped up, "Oh sorry," she waved it away. She had to get ahold of these resurfacing feelings before she let it go too far. "I'm just worried about him-er-that he's secret will be let out," She pressed her fist to her mouth, reminding herself to shut it.

Miroku shouted above their dying conversation, "Look! I see him! And Kikyo!"

Kirara landed ever so neatly behind the couple, making Inuyasha turn in a jolt of surprise.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked without showing much relief.

"What do you think we're doing here? We were worried about you!" Kagome yelled at him out of instinct. No matter who much she tried she couldn't get her feelings back into the little bottle they had been securely hidden in until just a few short nights ago. The anger bubbled up inside the pit of her stomach, burning, and up into her throat forcing her voice to be utterly unmerciful...no matter the raising pain in her wounds.

"If you ask me, you shouldn't have bothered," Inuyasha said cooly. This stung Kagome.

Shippo hung his head and shook it from side to side, Miroku doing the same. Sango just let out a deep sigh wishing she could slap the hell of that dog.

Kikyo, who had chosen to ignore all of them, had kept walking and was far ahead of the group. Inuyasha turned just in time to see her disappear into the distance. Without a glance behind him, he ran off in her direction not saying another word. Kagome trailed halfheartedly after him and the rest just followed behind. Now what?

Sango ran up to Kagome, "There's a really strong cloud of miasma up ahead."

Kagome just narrowed her eyes towards the bruised colored smoke that rose in the horizon. It seemed so close.

..:~*~:..

"Kikyo," came the smooth, lethal voice. "What are you doing here? At my castle?" Naraku asked through the darkness surrounding him. He sat in the center of a very large and empty room, eyes shut, and what could be passed as lights dimmed by his over powering aura. His powers spread over the land sensing every living thing that moved. Kagura wasn't there, he had sent her and Kohaku on another quest for him quite some time ago. They barely even crossed his mind, or anyone else's.

His eyes flashed open and he spread out his hand, "After my jewel no dout," Naraku's conniving face formed a wicked smile.

"And accompaning you is your little Kagome, that pitiful copy of your's, "He shook his head as though he were mocking them all. "Sango, the demon slayer, and the monk, Miroku. But..." He seemed slightly disturbed at not being able to know who the last presence was. After sorting through his senses a bit a small, evil laugh filled the empty air. He realized who it was.

"Inuyasha? You dare show your face before me on the night you lose your demon powers? Foolish half breed. Now you can be sure I'll get rid of you. I'll show you all that your attempts will go in vain."

A deep purple smoke engulfed Naraku's body, his laugh becoming louder and more deviant.

..:~*~:..

Kikyo, who had ignored the entire group and Inuyasha the whole short walk they had trailed her, stopped walking. She looked as though she were listening to something that no one else could detect. Inuyasha cursed his luck of being without his hearing. Everyone's attention was drawn onto her.

"Naraku is coming." Her voice was flat, non-excited nor frightened.

Shippo jumped back in terror, "W-what? Already?"

Inuyasha smiled broadly and clenched his fists. "Alright. That saves us the trouble of dragging him out of that damn castle of his."

Kagome came to his side, "Inuyasha, please, you know you won't be stong enough. He'll kill you quickly, you know that," She looped her arm around the inside of his, begging him not go. Again she had to remind herself that her pleas were one of one good friend to another...nothing more.

"Yes," Miroku agreed. "Naraku would usualy be afraid of you, Inuyasha. Now he would not hold back the chance to destroy you while you're so..."

"Weak?" Inuyasha finished for him grudgingly, wincing as he said it.

"He's not at all the noble type. He's a coward, so taking a cheap shot like that won't have any second thoughts," Sango stepped to the other side of Inuyasha, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't care. As long as I'm here, he's not going to touch Kikyo," Inuyasha looked at the castle hard as if the huge establishment were Naraku himself.

Kagome looked to the horizon, wishing desperately under her breath to see a glimps of the morning sun. To her overjoyed relief, she could see it! Just a peak, but it was coming. This was also worrying because now Naraku would be in a hurry to kill Inuyasha. She prayed for the sun to hurry up.

"Kagome, Inuyasha could get really hurt!" Shippo pulled on her sleeve as he clung to her back.

Kagome looked down in remorse, "No Shippo, if Naraku comes he _will _get really hurt...he'll be more than really hurt."

Shippo swallowed hard.

"Inuyasha," hissed the familiar voice.

Kagome jerked to the sun...not quite yet, her heart sinking. Naraku was looming in the sky in front of everyone.

"Ha! Where's all your minions Naraku? You usually have yourself surrounded by them. You're such a coward," Inuyasha sneered arrogantly.

Kagome started to shiver with anxiety._ 'That's right. Naraku never shows himself unless he's absolutely sure that he won't be hurt! Damn you Inuyasha, please be carefull!'_ For some reason she could tell this was really Naraku...she couldn't put her finger on it but the upset she felt inside her body told her that this was nothing more but the real thing.

Naraku laughed quietly to himself, "You shouldn't be talking so boldly, seeing as you are now just as weak as any other human."

Kikyo interupted them, "Naraku, leave them out of this. I am the one who came for you."

He turned his attention to her. He took one look over her, "And you, dying priestess, have come here to drag me to hell with you." He laughed again. "I will not be defeated so easily-" Naraku held out his hand, and opened it. In the center of his palm he held a very nearly completed jewel. "-you see, as I have nearly the whole sacred jewel to myself. And you, Kagome, have been kind enough to bring me the rest."

One of Naraku's fleshy demon roots burst foward from under his body and wrapped itself tightly around her stomach. Kagome gasped, the pain rushed forward through her stomach up into her head; she knew her wound would had to have reopened. She struggled and kicked as much as the pain would allow. Miroku and Sango tried to cut through the root with anything they could throw at it, Kirara biting through it with her fangs. But all they seemed to have accomplished was sending even more bursts of miasma smoke. The root retracted, sending the three of them hurtling backward, and brought Kagome just a mere three inches away from the face of her most powerfull enemy. She didn't want to scream. In fact, she didn't have the urge to. What would be the point? Inuyasha doesn't want her...

But at that moment, Inuyasha's golden eyes were set directly at her, wide, "Kagome." He growled low dangerously, his threat came slowly, "You let her go. Don't put any of your nasty body on her!"

"I guess I should thank you, Inuyasha. Being so distracted by Kikyo, you gave me the chance to grab the rest of the fragments," Naraku slipped his part of the jewel away into the folds of the writhing body below him, out of sight. He held his hand just above Kagome's transfixed face, his nails grow like thick, black talons.

She felt the dark power surge her body. The stench was unbearable, she wanted to be sick. Her whole body felt cold and dead. She could feel the energy through her fingers and toes and face.

He smirked, "I can see all your strife," He said to her under his breath, alluring. Good thing she's known him long enough not to fall for it, but if she didn't get away quick she felt as though she wouldn't hold on. "Seems she's giving up on you, Inuyasha." He let the statement settle in Inuyasha's mind. "After I posses the rest of the shards I'll just do her a little favor and rip her to shreds."

"Don't you dare!" Inuyasha yelled, enraged. There was no way he would lose her.

Naraku grabbed the bottle that Kagome had tucked away and spilled the pieces into his hand. All the jewel shards started glowing with his dark light. Kagome's eyes watched, horrified, as they formed together and created the full jewel right in Narakus hand! How long had it been since she had seen it? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

_'Oh no! What am I going to do?!'_ She thought frantically.

Naraku tightened the root that held Kikyo's copy, and she groaned in pain. It was the only little bit of air she had had left in her lungs. Inuyasha was frozen with fear and anger and hurt and confusion. What he should do? His head turned to Kikyo. His heart began to ache fiercely. He felt torn in two again, only this time he was really going to rip apart. His heart was forced two different ways. It knew that it was his time to decide. No more arguing with himself; it was time. One or the other. To hell or stay here. What he felt was his duty or what he knew was his heart's desire. Oh damn him for being so human! Damn these confounding feelings that drove him to the edge of sanity! He had been so in love with Kikyo, almost given everything of and about himself up for her things would have been so perfect for them...

But Kagome...she was there now. She had always been there. Stood by him. Fought with him. Put up with him. Carried the enormous amount of grief he forced her to carry. Why would she do such a thing? He knew why

Duty or heart's desire. That was it! Inuyasha felt a jolt, like lightning, jab through his entire body, riveting up into his brain and exploding into a million pieces. Now he understood, he knew who he wanted to be with, the one he would always want, the one he'd protect and be there for.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes at Naraku as he let out an evil laugh for his accomplishment. She stood heself up weakly and walked over to the roots lashing out of his body. The winds lashed at her as their growing aura's clashed together; their winds grew wild and whirled around the evil demon in freezing then boiling blasts, whipping at his hair and face. The souls in her body were quickly making their decend. Kikyo's energy was leaving her clay born body...and her life was coming to an end.

"It's time for both of us to leave this world...Naraku! We do not belong here anymore!"

Naraku, suddenly bewildered at the melee that was unfolding, dropped Kagome. The ground beneath his massive body began to crack and shake violently. Then, the earth opened up. The crevice wasn't very wide, but it was deep. Miles and miles down. Flames jumped out of it barely licking the faces of those standing close by. It went down to the red pit of hell itself. Naraku tried to move away but the harsh, clashing winds blew him back into the growing void. Kikyo felt the fear rise in her heart but didn't dare show it, nothing would stop this. Instead she placed a hand on one of the roots of the very powerful and very terrified half demon. Her hand glowed a silvery blue and melted the very flesh it touched. The light traveled up and over to the rest of his grotesque body. Naraku was now yelling in anguish realizing these would be his death throes.

Inuyasha gaped as Kagome lay right in the middle of everything...and wouldn't wake up! He yelled for her and treid to get into the distraught auras but was only being reverted backwards by the spell. He put his arms in front of him trying to stay steady. He could feel Kikyo trying to call to him, to get him to follow. Sango threw her Hiraikotsu at the swirling vortex but the wind whipped it back at her, barely missing her head as she ducked. Shippo was hiding, afraid the huge amount of wind would carry his tiny body away. Miroku pulled a paper spell from his clothing and threw it into the weakest point in the wind, and created a momentary hole in which to enter. He quickly jumped through and hurried to Kagome's side. He shook her but she wouldn't open her eyes; the ground was starting to crumble down beneath their weight. Miroku had no choice, he picked her up onto his back and ran for the spot where he had entered.

He reached into his clothing...but there weren't any more spells! Dammit. He looked back at Naraku, Kikyo still holding him in her last bit of strength. In that second, the two of them fell; it was almost graceful in doing so. Kikyo screamed as she fell backwards, Naraku lashing at her one more time, ripping her back. Her eyes were wide and fixed on Inuyasha...a single tear floated just above her face. Inuyasha watched as she fell, just out of his reach. The wind started to dissipate and Miroku took his chance. He jumped through holding tight to Kagome and ran past Sango, grabbing her arm without stopping and leading her away.

With Shippo and Kirara clutched to Sango and Kagome under his arms, Miroku did his best protecting them as the winds grew and grew...and then, subtly started to die out; the earth began to close back up, Inuyasha paralyzed with shock. He kept his arms up to protect himself from the winds. He had taken out his sword, even though it wouldn't transform and used it to steady himself.

Then, out of no where, the winds suddenly stopped. The sky lightened and the crack in the earth where the pit to hell had been just a fraction of a second ago was gone. If he ddn't know better, Miroku would have thought it all an illussion.

All was silent for minutes that seemed frozen in time. Inuyasha dropped to his knees, his eyes still wide. Shippo poked his head out from Miroku;s overhanging clothes, his hair a afro-like mess. "I-is...that it?" He asked so quietly it would seem like the voice of a tiny insect. Sango let her grasp on her little Kirara losen, the little feline coughed a few times, and she looked up. Miroku moved to the side, still holding a limp Kagome in his arms. He tried shaking her gently again but she still wouldn't wake up. It was only then he had noticed her wounds had reopened. The blood was all over him. How much had she lost?

Inuyasha turned his head slowly to Miroku, "Show me your hand."

Hesitantly, Miroku layed Kagome on the ground and pulled out his right hand, took the beads and cloth away, and opened to reveal his bare palm. The tiny black hole, recieding into nothingness, was his wind tunnel. He stared at it unbelievingly.

Sango took his hand in hers, looking it over herself, "It's...gone."

Inuyasha breathed out a long breath, the sun came over the distance, it's light spilling across the ground. It only took a short moment. His silver hair gushed around him, his eyes shone bright and golden. He could smell her. Her body, her hair. And he could smell the blood. "Kagome!" He suddenly jumped up, guilt washing over him. How he was tired of this guilt.

"She's here," Miroku said calmly. Inuyasha sat beside Kagome. He knew what he wanted now. The tears that rolled down his tired face were hidden from the rest. "Kagome..." Inuyasha breathed again. He reached out and lifted her head to bring her to his chest. "I-I'm sorry." He admitted it to himself...now he'll let her know. He was going to tell her that he was in love with her.

* * *

So? How do like the story so far? Unbelievable that so much has happened already...more to come!


	8. Kagome Leaves

(revised)

..:~*~:..

_He had made his choice, and it wasn't hell. He wanted to be here, with Kagome. To protect her, be there for her, to always make sure she's smiling._

..:~*~:..

Inuyasha sat next to Kagome, who was still not showing any signs of waking. Sango and Miroku had started a fire and were tending to some minor wounds received during the...incident. Kirara lay in Sango's lap. Shippo just sat in his corner and stared at the flames, often glancing over to Kagome.

They had taken to the forest and far away from the sight of the "hell hole". Miroku had suggested that they go back to Keade's, but they had gotten so wary they had to stop. The late morning light shone brilliantly through the trees casting a gentle light on the group. Inuyasha could feel all his power coming back to him, his ears were back, his claws, and fangs...and most important his strength. It felt as though he had been human for ages, but he knew it had only been a few hours and was happy he now had his demon half back. He didn't feel so helpless.

Now they all were very silent. The scowl that spread on Inuyasha's face said that he wanted to be left alone and in silence. No one mentioned the jewel.

A small, almost transparent, little white orb separated itself from the glow of the sun. It hovered back and forward, slowly descending down toward Kagome. As it landed on her chest, it's light spread over her torso and sank down into her flesh. Her last bit of spirit that had kept Kikyo alive for the past few years. Miroku watched it disappear, he seemed to be the only one who noticed it. Kagome stirred and her eyes cracked open, blinking a few times to clear the blur. She looked up at Inuyasha and asked groggily, "Did she do it?"

At first Inuyasha didn't have a clue who Kagome was talking about, too intent on her, then realized it must be Kikyo. He just stared at Kagome, trying to see if he could find any more wounds that Naraku had given her. But it was just the one...and it seemed much better, surprisingly.

"Well...yeah. What did you think?" Inuyasha's voice came in sarcasm, but it was soft.

Kagome closed her eyes with a weak smile. "And...the jewel-"

Inuyasha interrupted her, "We didn't get it." He tried not to sound angry. "Naraku took it with him," despite himself, his voice broke.

Now the other three were, discretely, looking over at the two.

Kagome still smiled...and held up her hand. When her fingers parted they revealed a beautiful, lavender colored, and whole sacred jewel. The thing they had been after for so long, so many years, that had killed so many, was now finally theirs. "Nope. I got it before he let me go."

Inuyasha's mouth was open in a gawk as he just stared. Shippo, Sango, and Miroku stared unbelievingly at the pretty, lavender sphere.

"Kagome! You got the jewel!" Shippo was the first one to speak, jumping up and down excitedly.

She sat up, seeming a lot stronger already; but she was still very tired. She took the beaded necklace from her pocket (which she had taken back too) and clipped the jewel onto her neck. "We should all get some rest. Tomorrow we go to Keade's village."

..:~*~:..

"Do ye mean to tell me that my sister has taken Naraku to hell?" Keade's eyes opened in wonder. She held the fully round jewel in her hand, turning it, inspecting it. The look on her face was both relief and mourn, and Inuyasha could tell.

"Stop gawking at it old woman," He was becoming rather protective after what Kagome made herself go through to get it back. He wasn't going to let her victory go to waste.

"Well child, ye did get the jewel. After all these years, ye finally did it," Keade handed it back to Kagome. "Now, how are ye planning to use it?"

Kagome looked at her confused, "Use it...?"

Keade shut her eyes and understood she was going to have to explain this to the girl. At least it won't be from the beginning. She looked over at Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. "Do ye think ye three can do something for me?"

The three looked up, Sango had a questionable look across her face, "Of course, Lady Keade."

"Go and get ye-selves some supplies from the village, and let me talk to these two in peace," She waved them out.

Miroku lead Sango out, who held a squirming Shippo, yelling protests of wanting to stay.

After Keade was sure they had gone, she looked seriously at Kagome, "Look now. This sacred jewel must be rid of as soon as possible. For ye run the risk of having it taken from ye again. I think ye is not wanting it lost yet again. And I know ye is not thinking of destroying it..."

Inuyasha growled loudly, "After all we've been through?! Of course not..."

"Sit down Inuyasha. Let me finish. Anyways, that would be impossible."

He sat down angrily and crossed his arms letting the old hag speak.

"Since ye cannot destroy it, then ye must use it. Ye remember the reason why demons pursue such a jewel?"

Kagome looked warily at the lavender, glassy surface, "Because it can give them unreasonable power, right?"

Keade, eyes still closed, nodded, "Aye, but ye don't remember the other half of the story. This jewel can be used for evil...and good. The evil seek it's power, so if it is used for evil then it will be stained red and will cast chaos over our world. But if it is used for good, it will turn a pure white. The jewel and all it's power would cease to exist as we know it."

Kagome looked down at it and in horror started to understand what Keade was asking of her. _'But this is...my way back home. Getting rid of it would mean...'_

"Ye see, it's like a wish," Keade went on. "But only a wish by the pure hearted and full spirited. Ye, child, being a reincarnation of Kikyo, have her soul and ye own. Priestess, making you pure, and two souls..." Keade chuckled, "I can't think of how much more full spirited ye can get than that. Therefore, ye can wish for what your heart truly desires."

Kagome's heart sank heavily, "It grants your heart's strongest desire?"

Keade nodded, "Aye."

Inuyasha, even though disappointed about not having it for himself, saw for the first time that he was never able to use it from the very beginning. Being half demon made him unpure and so if he used its power, the jewel...and himself...would be reverted to evil. He just had never slowed down to really think about it, he was so caught up with becoming a full demon that... Is that why Kagome had insisted he not use it? Had she subconsciously known about it? She knew he wouldn't have been the same. He understood, but was still so heavily putdown now that he saw how pointless his quest had been from the very beginning.

"Old Keade?" Kagome's voice sounded so sad.

'_What was wrong?'_ Inuyasha wondered.

"Aye child?"

"You remember the Bone Eater's well? This jewel is the reason...this...is still possible for me."

Inuyasha thought he wound burst out in fury and heartbreak at the sound in her voice, "What are you saying?!"

Keade motioned him back down and waited a moment to let the truth settle, "Kagome, I do not know of ye own world, but I do know this much. When ye use the jewel, ye shall be stuck inside the world ye used it in. If ye make the wish here, ye will stay. Same with wherever the other side of that well is."

Kagome felt like crying, she felt sick all over again. This was the hardest thing she's ever had to hear. This is what she had feared all along, for the long years she had been with Inuyasha, this has been the fate she was always afraid of.

She replied very slowly, "Keade? May I...go home, and think about my," She paused. Would should she call it? "...wish before I make it?"

Keade made no attempt to hide the disapproving look on her face, but knew that this would be hard for the girl. So thinking it over, she decided, would be best. It would be better to give Kagome some time, "Aye child. That'd be alright."

Inuyasha stood up sharply, and stormed out of the hut nearly bringing the little hut to the ground. Kagome looked saddly after him, then back at the jewel. Keade saw hurt in both of them rising to the surface and wondered if it had been a good idea to have said this much information so soon. She reached out and laid an old hand on the girl's shoulder,

"Child, before ye make the choice ahead, I think ought to tell Inuyasha how ye have felt. In case you might never come back from ye's own world don't ye think it would be best to let him know?"

Kagome gulped down all that had been said and nodded meekly. She felt weak all of a sudden...so, so weak. Even as she stood to walk after Inuyasha, the words she was to say to him ran through her mind and threaten to make her knees lose all their walking power.

Keade just whached as the poor child slunk out of her hut. "Oh, Kagome. I hope ye make the right wish, if ye know what it puts this world at. Inuyasha...try to be gentle."

..:~*~:..

After Kagome left Keade's hut, she knew where to look for the half demon. She passed each villager slowly, ignoring each cheery greeting, heading towards the tree. It was the same tree where she had first shared a meal with Inuyasha, and where he had almost kissed her when Kikyo was being made from clay, and where they had watched sunsets together. She knew he would be there. Tears rolled down her face as she approached the tree and they stung as she looked up. Seeing his beautiful silver hair and red kimono, she felt even more weak than she had earlier. Great.

Kagome wipped away her tears and was about to speak when Inuyasha interrupted her, "Why have you been crying?" His voice was demanding and sharp as ever. Tenderness was gone. He didn't turn to face her but just kept looking off into a seemingly spaceless era.

"Oh...that?" She said stupidly, "It's nothing, just a little something in my eye." Her eyes darted pleadingly, "Do you want to come with me to the well?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything, didn't make anything to suggest that he was going to move. Kagome just nodded her head, expecting as much.

"Um...Inuyasha? I just wanted to say something, just in case I...don't come back."

A flash of anger flitted across his face, then quickly disappeared. Was there something else in the flash of emotion? Did he just flinch? But still he made no sound.

"I want you to know...I...care for you. I have for a really...long time. Up until that night I had bottled it, I had given up on you." Another flinch. "But that night it came back. And it's more every day." Kagome scolded herself for not coming straight out with her words. This was awkward.

His eyes grew wide, out of her sight, they trembled with both passion and unbearable guilt.

"Inuyasha...I love you." Kagome turned and walked away. She looked back only once out of his hearing distance to see if he had faltered at all, he hadn't. Only his eyes had changed; thoughts, feelings, and choices flew across his expressions.

She closed her eyes, blinking away all of what she felt, letting it go, and smiled sadly. She kept walking. In the village, she stopped briefly to say goodby to Sango and Miroku...giving hugs and exchanging glances. She held a crying Shippo, begging for her not to go. "Please Kagome! Is it Inuyasha again? He's just being stubborn! Don't leave because of him!" The little fox pleaded.

Kagome even patten the tiny Kirara's head, and even the feline gave her a sad mew.

Sango was letting tears roll lightly down her face, somehow she had guessed which didn't surprise Kagome at all. "Kagome...what if you don't come back...?"

Kagome shrugged and didn't answer for a long time, "Then I don't come back."

Miroku was shaking his head, whether at her or Inuyasha he wasn't sure. "You will be missed Kagome."

"I know. But..." She took out all her last pieces of candy sweets, and any other food that she knew the group loved. With her last goodby, she handed the goods to the group, "And give that to Inuyasha," She pointed at a package of ramen, turned, and walked towards the dense set of trees known as Inuyasha's forest...where they had first met; to the well she might not come back through. She gave one more look at the far away tree where Inuyasha had been sitting, but he was gone now. He hadn't even said goodby...and he was gone.

..:~*~:..

Kagome had her hand clutched to her pack. She watched the ground pass under her feet, thinking of Inuyasha's face as she had spoken to him. What was all that? And the silence that she had received from him; the awkward, heart wrenching silence. She lifted her head, the well was only a few meters away. To her great, and almost happy, surprise Inuyasha was there, leaning against it. His arms were crossed in that special, moody way of his. His sarcastic, angry face that had become his normal was gone. As she walked closer he lifted his chin to look up at her then stood up straight.

Without saying anything Inuyasha took only a few steps toward her. She stopped walking, dumbstruck at his expression, the soft golden eyes set on her brown ones, the way his body moved towards her not at all tense like it usually was...closer, and closer still. He stopped when his face was only a mere inch from hers, "I love you too, Kagome....and I'm not letting you go that easily." With that, he closed the last bit of distance and connected their lips in a heated, passionate kiss-lock.

When he let go to see her face, Kagome had a blush deeper than any rose he'd ever seen; it was alluring. She didn't resist. His hand came up and jerked the bag away from her and threw it aside. He wrapped one arm around the small of her back, pulling her closer to him, his other hand running up her neck, entangling itself in her glossy black hair before resting on the back of her head.

* * *

Yes!! Hurray for the awaited admitting of his own feelings!!


	9. grieving for Kagome after

((Sorry about the cliffy guys § Thanks for being such loyal readers! So here's something special...))

* * *

Inuyasha jerked the bag out of Kagome's hand and threw it aside. One hand held the small of her back pulling her middle onto his, and his other hand behind her head. Again he brought his lips to hers. The trees around them seemed to spin, the well seemed so far away now. 

Kagome clutched the top of his fire-rat kimono and pulled down, seeing his bare shoulders underneath made her shiver. She ran her hands down his neck and hugged Inuyasha around his muscled arms, making his bare torso press onto her. There was a certain pressure _inside_ her middle, she wanted him to releave her of that pressure.

He moved his body, grinding their middles together, arousment rising fiercly. His hand made it's way into her skirt, she breathed in deeply but as he moved his fingers, she made sounds of pleasure and enjoyment.

Inuyasha had already made progress with her shirt, removing it so easily and feeling her chest. Taking her lips, he removed that annoying piece of clothing that covered her and gave each breast a rubbing sensation. But he was pushed back, and for a moment was surprised untill Kagome pulled him to the ground ontop of her. He kept his weight supported on his arms, but she hugged him tighter, tighter, pulling him closer to her now exposed chest. So, Inuyasha let himself come to rest comfortably ontop of Kagome's fragile body.

He made quick with her skirt, almost ripping it off with impatience and pleasure burning up inside of him. She made a sound, a gasp almost as she was now fully exposed to the half demon. Her ebony hair framing her kind face, and peach-light skin that was so soft to the touch made him growl low and deep. Inuyasha, too, was now fully exposed. Kagome stared at his body in wonderment. Perfectly toned muscles rippled over his arms, abs, legs...Was this really happening? She didn't care, now both of them were too worked up to stop. They took each others lips once again. Inuyasha's hands were giving Kagome pleasure she never thought possible, moving his fingers in and out made her shake and move in ways that were amazing.

Inuyasha brought his lips to Kagome's ear and whispered, "I promise I'll be gentle."

Kagome just nodded, caught up in the movements his body was making. He left a trail of kisses going from her lips, to her neck, down her chest, then came back to take her lips. Inuyasha moved his body slowly, teasing hers. Making her kind of whine and make wonderfull sounds that only exited him more.

Kagome was becoming more and more aroused, his hands were running up and down her body and her on his own. Suddenly there was pain in her shoulder, he was biting her, his fangs sank into her soft skin leaving a slight dripping of blood. Kagome let out a small wimper but Inuyasha made up for it with a movement of up then down. Kagome gasped and clutched his shoulders with her nails.

Inuyasha made the movement again, entering her and moving a little faster. Tears rolled down her cheek but he licked them away.

Inuyasha's body started moving faster and faster, both of them moaning. Kagome was still clutching him when he climixed and then started moving slower. He breathed heavily as he finally came to rest ontop of an exhausted Kagome. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his silver, glittering hair. He looked into her eyes weakly, and kissed her lips. She kissed back, pulled away and surprisingly found herself biting his shoulder as he did hers.

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Sango was helping Keade with a meal they started to prepare with the foods Kagome had left for them. Shippo was in a corner, still crying horribly.

Miroku stepped inside the hut with another load of wood. His expression was sad, but so was everyone elses. Sango sniffed, and he turned his attention to her, "Are you crying Sango?"

Sango didn't answer. He bent down coming close to her face, and wipped away a tear that had revealed itself to him, "Now, now. We're all over reacting a little aren't we? She's going back to her time to think about it...it's not decided yet. She might come back." Miroku said this in hope of lightening the mood.

No one spoke. He sat next to Sango, who broke out in a fit of tears, and held her to his chest. He ran his hand down her head trying to comfort her. It seemed like an eternity before her crying stopped and she just sat comfortably in Miroku's hold.

Shippo turned with the most saddest face Miroku had ever seen, "B-but if s-she d-doesn't come b-back..." He hiccupped through a waterfall of tears and sobs.

Sango spoke slowly so to be carefull of another outburst, "Miroku, that's her family. Her life is there. We can't think so selfish to think she'd come back to us. She saw it as her duty to come back only to find the pieces of the jewel she had shattered. Now that she's completed such a task..."

"Ye forget," Keade held up a finger but paused.

"Forget what old woman?" Sango asked, wanting to know what the old priestess could be thinking.

"Kagome and Inuyasha has had growing feelings for each other am I correct?"

They all shook their heads slowly.

Keade smiled, "The child is not chosing between duty and family. She is chosing between family...and love."

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Inuyasha cracked his eyes open, the sun was farther down in the sky than he had remembered. But...something was missing, where was Kagome? She was gone, so were her cloths, and bag.

She had just up and left! Inuyasha, dressing angerly, went over to the well and jumped in hurridly. He hoped he wasn't to late But he didn't feel the time rushing through his body, the floating sensation that usually passed his head. And no purple, white light either.

Maybe he just wasn't paying attention. He took a leap out of the BoneEaters well, and looked around. No wooden shed, or strange building of any sorts; no two story house with a pink window opened and welcoming him to come. No. It was all forest, trees, hills, and distinctive huts far down in the village.

His eyes trembled out of fear. What had happened? Did Kagome use the jewel? Has he lost her forever? Does this mean she can't some back? So many thing rushed around in his head. Inuyasha drooped his head, a shadow casted on his eyes. He scowled in anger, but a tear rolled down his face as the thought of Kagome never returning stuck in his mind.

Inuyasha was not about to give up. He jumpped again into the well. Still nothing happened.

"No." More tears ran down his face.

He started diggingpointlessly. "No!"

Inuyasha punched the dirt, and again, and again. Each time he hit harder and harder...untill his hand was dripping blood. Then he went balistic. Punching the sides of the well, the ground, kicking, yelling, screaming...crying.

Tired, and bleeding, he gave up and leaned against one side of the wooden well. He let the tears flow out of his shadow covered eyes.

Before long he slowly made his way to the village, to Keade's hut, where the group sat looking sulkily. He ignored everything they said, their voices seemed like drifting dreams. He just sat in the corner and stared into nothngness, feeling the same thing.

* * *

((Okay everyone, here it is...Enjoy! The next chapter will be along within days so...review please, thanks.)) 


	10. everything unfolds

Sango, having finished her meal, then stood, "Shouldn't we go look for Kohaku? He would be somewhere right?" She looked from Miroku to Inuyasha.

Miroku nodded, eyes closed, "Yes, we'll find him. But we can't just start a search aimlessly, we'll be at it for days...up to weeks."

"He's right Sango. We always seemed to run into him before, why would now be different?" Shippo clung to her shoulder.

"Yeah but I'm still worried about him. Now that Naraku's gone he'll get his memories back. And the wounds on his back that NAraku forever had kept at bay will be back too. If he's not near a village he could be..."

"Sango. Kohaku is your brother, he'll find a place and get healed quickly."

Then Inuyasha finally spoke up, "If we're lucky the brat will show up someplace where he's recognized."

Sango just looked at him, then sat down again with Kirara in her lap sighing.

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"Kana, what was that?" Kagura held her hand tight to her chest breathing heavily with pain. The girl in all white turned to her with her blank, solid black eyes,

"It is Naraku. He is gone."

"Again? Is he really gone this time or is he just faking it?" Kagura looked over to the boy that Naraku had stuck her with. He slept unknowing of the conversation going on around him.

"No. He was dragged to hell by the dead priestess, Kikyo."

"That creepy woman?" Kagura waited a moment, she took a pin from her hair and threw it into the air. As it burst into a large feather, she and Kana jumpped up onto it.

"We'll leave the boy here. Now that our master is gone I don't need him for anything."

But as they were out of sight, the boys eyes opened slowly and whached them dissappear. He held his fist tight as his pain ran through his spine. But he forced himself up, and suantered off to find a nearest village where he was met by an old couple.

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Kagome crawled out of the well, using the ladder that mamma had put in for her. She tried her hardest not to collaspe when she climbed out the top of the well into the old hut that covered the well-site. She sighed and tounched her shoulder where the bite mark still was stinging.

Once in the house Kagome was greeted by her mother, "Kagome, dear, you're home! Welcome back sweet heart!" Her mother gave her a hug and took her bag.

Sota came running in from the living room where the television blared cartoon sounds, "Hey sis!" He ran to her, but noticed the look she had on her face. She was looking at him with a kind of saddness that he'd never seen before. "Are you okay Kagome? You look kinda tired. Do you want me to go start you a bath or something?" He offered in a small hope to cheer his elder sister up.

She shook her head sighing, "Thanks Sota, I..."

But Kagome's mother handed him her stuff, "Accually Sota, why don't you take her stuff to her room? I'll fix her bath or something to eat."

"Okay," He said quietly, and dragged the yellow bag up the stairs.

Kagome, smiling weakly, sighed again, "No mom it's okay. I just want some rest."

But Kagome's mother saw the look she had writen over her face and touched her hand. "Kagome, is there anything you need to talk about?"

_'Yes! There's so much to talk about! I have to chose where I want to stay! If I go back I'll never be able to see you again!'_ "Not really, just some problems I ha..." Kagome looked around, "Hey...where's grandpa?"

"Oh he went out on some errand he had to do."

"Grandpa? On an errand? But he's never even left the house!"

Her mother smiled, "He'll be alright Kagome."

Kagome held the purple jewel in her hand tightly, looking down at it for a moment, "Mom...I need to tell you something."

Her mother looked at her with a kind expression, as if she understood. As if she could read everything from the look on Kagome's face. "Okay." Kagome's mother sat her down on the couch and listened to the story. Naraku and Kikyo going to hell, getting the jewel, Keade's words, Shippo crying, and the choice that she had to make between the two most important things in her life. She even hinted at what happened between her and Inuyasha. Her mother just smiled, seeming to understand everything.

Kagome splurted out her feelings about wanting to be with Inuyasha, but told her mother how she couldn't leave her home _forever_. She talked about how she needed to finish school and plan for a job. Kagome ranted on about how this was so unfair and cruel and almost burst out into tears when finally her mother interrupted. Kagome looked up into her mother eyes, "Mom...I want to be there...with Inuyasha and the others. But you and Sota...and gramps...I can't leave my family! Can I?"

It seemed like such a long time before her mother opened her mouth, "Honey, you love him."

Kagome jumpped, not expecting her mother to know this, and blushed.

"We are your family Kagome, and we will be always. But...your in love with him. And you have an entire life ahead of you." Her mother spoke slowly and firmly.

"Mom! What are you...?"

"I'm not trying to decide for you. Just know that we love you. We want you to be where you are most happy. I mean think about it...where are you most of your time?"

Kagome didn't know how to respond, she had started to spend up to months in the feudal era without ever coming home. She was always so tired and worn out here at home. She loved seeing her family...but it was like stepping into a dream, like it wasn't something normal. She knew this was going to be so hard for her to think about. _'I love him...yes I love him so much. But I...just can't.' _Kagome stopped sobbing, and wiped away all the tears on her face. "What about school?"

"You and I both know you weren't going to be able to finish anyway. We were even talking about letting you quit remember?"

"What about my freinds? What are you going to tell them?"

Kagome's mother looked hurt, "Well, since you're always so 'sick'...to them...And as much as I hate lying we can..."

Kagome's eyes widened, "Tell them I'm...?"

Her mother touched her cheek, "Don't worry about that."

"What about you...and Sota...and gramps?"

"We'll be fine Kagome. We will miss you terribly, but we'll know you're happy." Her mother was starting to cry a little too, "Every parent has to let their child go sometime, and you've grown up. It's your time to have your own life, and go out into the world."

Kagome closed her eyes, horrified, scared, and trembling. She stood up sharply, "I'm going to my room okay?" She headed for the stairs, stopped and turned, "Mother, I can't I'm sorry."


	11. thought's and feelings

((Sorry it's taken so long...you know, I never did say how old Kagome was . ponders on how to fit it into the story))

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Days went by without anyone realizing it, Inuyasha spent most of his time alone their tree or beside the water sighing all day. He never even ate the ramen Kagome had left behind for him, instead he held it and at times would stare at it as if it could make her come back. 

Miroku and Sango spent most of their time together doing random things like looking for more supplies or slaying a few lesser demons thinking they could get their minds distracted. Shippo on the other hand, had found many village children to play with and was making quick freinds. At least one of them was happy. Even Sango feline demon, Kirara, wasn't so active or very anxious to do anything. She could tell that her master was upset and that the girl with the priestess powers was gone.

Almost a whole week had sped by, not a day left Inuyasha without him going to the well and jumping in it constantly and then losing his temper at the old well. Another week, and still nothing.

A tiring day, rainy day, Inuyasha sat near the well. He hoped that something, anything, would just happen and Kagome would be here like always. He turned his back to it, hurt from the memories. Inuyasha felt a warm tear roll down his face.

It was in that moment he thought he might of heard something, like a thump of something heavy. Inuyasha thought it might be his mind playing tricks. But he heard a footstep of someone crawling out of the well. Now he turned, slowly, and saw a blurred figure standing beside the well, something large and yellow clutched it their hands. It was...?

"Kagome..."

She shook her head, a sad yet happy smile spread onto her lips. "Yeah...I um...told my mother goodby this morning. She cried a little, and so did I, but she knew why. Sota says hello, and Gramps...says...to have healthy kids..." She kept from giggling softly. But Inuyasha made a tiny chuckle that he hadn't tried to hide. "I, got all the food I needed, and a few outfits. And just some other..."

Inuyasha, who had stood and made slow steps to her, now had his nose at Kagome's. Before she finished her sentence he had locked their lips together. Both were crying but the tiny droplets of rain hid them.

When he had pulled away, Kagome pulled down the sleeve of her shirt and showed the bite mark scar. "And Inuyasha...?"

He pulled his down and saw his mark too.

"I'm...pregnant."

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"Where's Inuyasha?" Shippo whined, "He's never around anymore."

Miroku waited until he had swollowed his bite of sweet rice, "He's not going to come down from that well you know."

Sango bit off a piece of her fish, "He'll go mad if this sadness of his keeps going on...Or gets any worse."

Keade, boiling a kind of soup, just held her eyes closed. She didn't say anything to the group just every so often would look to the opening to the hut.

"He's acting like such a child." Shippo hit his head with his tiny fists. "But..." Then he held his eyes low to the ground, "I can't blame him being so sad over Kagome."

"We all are Shippo." Sango assured him.

Then, they all looked at the door, someone had come in but it wasn't Inuyasha. No, he came in behind her, smiling.

"Kagome!" All three said in unision. Keade grinned and nodded looking to her soup again.

"You...came back! You came back!" Shippo said wildly.

"But Kagome, you left your family?" Sango said surprised.

"Yeah, but my mom helped me understand what I wanted."

Miroku stood, and took the heavy bag from her hands. "Oh! What's...in...here...?" He asked struggling with the heavy thing.

"Um...lots of food, clothing, and other things."

"Is your uh...books in here?"

"No."

Miroku sat it down at the back of the hut, where it would stay without being in the way. Kagome sat down near Keade.

"So, child, do ye think ye made the right choice?"

Kagome nodded her head suredly.

"What about your wish?!" Shippo jumpped up and down not realizing he was doing it.

"I'm not sure about that yet...but I might..." Kagome whispered into Keade ear. Everyone else, trying to hear, leaned forward.

"That might be a wise thing Kagome." Keade nodded, "But ye know what ye getting into right?"

"Yes, I have an idea." Kagome glanced over to Inuyasha. "I just think it's time I can protect myself and not rely on any of you."

Keade put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "There is no turning back child. Ye make this wish, and ye don't go back home. Nor will ye be...normal again."

"Normal?" The others asked, wanting to know what it was.

"Now," Keade went on ignoring the questions, "Do ye know how to make the wish?"

Kagome shook her head, not even knowing there was a certain way to wish.

"Ye must take it to the well, near the wood of Inuyasha sacred tree. Make ye wish, and then the jewel will take care of the rest. But ye must be near wood of the sacred tree." Keade pressed it importantly into Kagome's head. "Otherwise it will not work."

"Okay..." Kagome clutched the tiny jewel in her hand.

"Also, if ye make this wish, ye powers of my sister will increase amazingly. Ye would be more powerful than any other..."

"What is it Kagome? What is it?" Shippo bounced around her.

"You'll see, Shippo."

"When?"

"I'm not sure."

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But it wasn't anytime soon, Kagome still held onto the jewel days later. She pondered over her wish and often spoke aloud. She had told Inuyasha what it was, he didn't say much about it just that he knew it would be better for Kagome. She spent the time she had just thinking and staring into space.

A few times the thought's of what her mother had said to her past through Kagome's head. She didn't cry, just smiled happily as she knew her mother wanted her to be happiest. This was where she was most happiest though. She knew her mother would want her to do what she wanted now. She was in her twenties wasn't she? Twenties...The words seemed to mean nothing to Kagome. It was so long ago when she first came out of that well, she had been fifteen then. That was so long ago. Now she sat in the tree by the lake that was just outside of the village.

"So." Inuyasha said behind her. She jumped, but almost expected him to be there.

"What?"

"Have you made up your mind?"

"You're not pushing me are you?"

"No, just wondering why you're spending so much time thinking it over."

Kagome rolled the jewel in her hand. "Well, it will be a good choice right? I mean, I wouldn't need you guys protection all the time. And if we...you know...Then you wouldn't hae to worry about me dying before you. My life will be lengthened and..."

"Kagome, if you're going to wish this, it would be the best thing to use the jewel for. Being you're a priestess, it won't turn to evil."

"Will it Inuyasha?"

"Keade said it most sertainly will not."

"I hope so." She leaned her head onto his shoulder sighing. "And my freinds in my time. They'll be so heartbroken. And Hojo..."

Inuyasha didn't answer.

"Well...I shouldn't worry should I?"

"Feh, But you are."

Kagome rubbed her hand onto her stomach. She still couldn't believe that she might be having a kid!

"Kagome."

"What?"

"Did you mean it...the other day at the well. Are you really...?" Inuyasha turned his head away, reddness flushing over it.

Kagome waited a long time before replying, "Yeah...I did." She held onto his arm, "Where's the old Inuyasha now?" She asked more herself than anything else.

Inuyasha ignored her. Kagome pulled at his ear, looking quizically.

"Hey! Stop...let go!" He struggled to get free.

She pulled his kimono.

"What are oyu doing?!"

"I'm looking." Kagome's voice was filled with the tone of a child.

"For what?!"

She smiled and let him go, "The old Inuyasha. The one I know so well."

"What are you talking about? I'm right here!" Inyasha's voice filled with annoyance.

"SIT!"

With a loud crash, Inuyasha layed in a crater. He lifted himself up now took with his old look, an annoyed angered look. "What...was that for?!" He yelled up to her.

Kagome laughed, "There he is." She said under her breath. For some reason she had been feeling a fear that Inuyasha might have changed, but he hadn't. He was here still. "Good." She whispered.

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((There! - 'Tis done. Review please! And I'll start working on the next chapter soon . )) 


	12. Kagome's wish

((This one's a little out of character but it's still pretty good))

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Ms. Higerashi stood at the well, smiling over it. She knew Kagome was going to be happy but couldn't help herself from crying. She wipped her tears away, and walked back up the wooden steps. Sota and Gramps were waiting outside. 

Sota pulled on his mother's shirt, "What are we telling her school and freinds mom?"

She looked down to him, "Well...You know all those stories Gramps told the school?"

Sota nodded.

"Well, we're going to tell them that she got to sick and went away." She tried to say it nicely.

But Sota, old enough, knew what she ment. He knew they couldn't tell them about her staying in the past. But they couldn't just pretend she never was here either.

Hojo, just in time, came up their cement steps of the shrine holding a package. It obviously had been intended for Kagome.

"Good afternoon Ms. Higerashi! Is Kagome in her room?"

She waited a moment, it was easy for her to put on a sad face for him, "Well, Hojo..." She paused letting him observe the grave look on her face.

Hojo felt a rushing fear rise up into his stomach, "Is she o-okay?" He asked hopingly.

"She passed...away" Gramps said, allowing himself to cry.

Sota, not even trying to look sad, burst out into tears at the thought of Kagome being in that feudal era forever.

Hojo dropped his package by accident. This girl who he had so tried to get better, the one he wanted to love, was gone?

"I-I'm Sorry to hear that."

No one said anything for a long time, Hojo just made his way back around to the school. When the group of girls that seemed to be Kagome's little group that she hangs around with. They all asked how she was doing, and whenHojo told them with such a saddened face they all started crying in unision.

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When students started coming to the Higerashi shrine, each bringing a gift, they asked if there would be a funeral. Ms. Higerashi just told them there would be a ceremony. It almost seemed like the whole school had come and gone. They had a whole room filled with flowers, cakes, pastries, jello's, pictures, videos, and verious other things.

Hojo took it the worst of all though. Now his once smiling face was so grim and heavy, fraught with sadness. Everyone was crying and sobbing. It all made Ms. Higerashi feel so guilty to lie like this, but what else could she say?

They held the ceremony, thanked them for the gifts, and then started to close it all up. They told them that the grave site would be in the little hut where the well was.

When Ms. Higerashi went in to put up a little grave sighn, the well was gone. She stared in wonderment, it was like it never was there to begin with. So she set it up like a grave hut. Hojo promised to come at least every week to lay flowers, pray, and offered to clean it up if anything was messy.

Kagome's group of friends also sent flowers with Hojo when he went. And as days went by, he seemed to be getting used to the fact that she was gone. Yes he still morned for her, but he stayed strong and was trying to move along.

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"Inuyasha..."

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm ready to make my wish. I've thought about it and...I need to get it over with." Kagome fiddled with the jewel that hung from her neck.

"Yeah, well, it's about time. You've been thinking about it for weeks now!"

"Don't talk about it like it's so easy! If I wish this I can't ever go back!"

"Well you get to turn back into a human once every new moon."

"Yeah, that's one reason why I'm wishing for half demon. Another is if I wish for full demon...Keade says the jewel will turn evil. Just this whole demon, priestess, powers stuff is so confusing to me."

"Get over it! You wanted to stay here, and you want to become half demon. You made up you're mind now go with it."

"Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"SIT!"

_BAM_

"Ow..."

Kagome walks away from him, "Serves you right!"

Inuyasha looked up and yelled to her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"To tell Keade."

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Kagome, standing beside the well with the jewel in hand, looked to the group standing behind her. Keade closed her eyes and nodded wisely in that old woman way of hers. Kagome looked at Inuyasha, he had his arms crossed and just waited, then she looked back to the well.

"Okay..." She said aloud. "I'm ready."

She whispered to the jewel, her wish. It glowed with a bright purple light, almost burning Kagome's hands. Everything happened withen an instant, the jewel flew into the wood of the well, and all the wood burst into a white flame. Oddly, Kagome felt no heat from it. But it got brighter and brighter untill she had to sheild her eyes from the glow. Then it subsided, and blew out like a candle.

The well was gone. There wasn't even a hole in the ground where it had been, as if it never existed. Gone. Kagome's eyes were big, but she held herself up knowing that this would happen.

"D-did it work?" Kagome looked around. Keade looked grimly at the site where the well would have been, and turned walking back to the village.

"Aye child, it did. But give it time."

"Feh, it's not like you were gonna go back anyways Kagome." Inuyasha said bluntly.

"Inuyasha!" Sango gave him a nasty look.

"What?"

Sango looks at him angerly for a few more seconds then turns away walking. Shippo was crawling on the ground where the well had been with Kirara in her tiny form of a feline. Miroku, leaning against a tree, was just staring at his hand deep in thought.

Kagome looked at the ground, she was a little sad still, knowing what torture her friends must be going through right now. But she quickly shook her head letting the thought dissappear.

She touched her stomach, it hadn't grown much over the last few weeks, but she could feel it getting a little tight. Inuyasha hadn't said a word about it, even though many times she would catch him staring at her waist. Could he tell?

Kagome glanced over at the tree in time to see Sango standing quite close to Miroku. But quickly turned away giving them privacy.

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It was all quiet, Sango, leaned up against her wall and waited untill she was sure everyone was fast asleep.

_'It's all quiet. I can't wait any longer it has to be done now!'_ She stood silently, avoided Kagome and Shippo, and made special care not to make any sound near Inuyasha.

After she left through the door, Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked after her, he knew what she was about to do. He had heard her and Miroku talking earlier beside the lake. He smiled to himself and shut his eyes again. "About time." He muttered.

_Sango sat beside Miroku beside the waters edge, he was looking at his hand again. He was doing that alot lately._

_"It's not going to come back no matter how long you stare at it."_

_"I know but...I just don't feel quite right without it." He brought his hand down, now looking straight at Sango's eyes._

_"Sango..."_

_She looked back at him, regognizing the look on his face. Her eyes grew, and she felt herself trembling._

_"There's someone very special to me." He started. "A woman that I've known longer than any other. And..." His eyes made their way to the water, a shadow came over it. "I want her to know what I feel. I want to show her she's not like other women. If I asked her to bare my child...I would mean it as a quiestion and not a flirt."_

_Sango, now red all over her face, put her fist to her mouth and forced her eyes away._

_"If I was to ask her to meet me tonight..."_

_Sango's eyes grew large once again, and she turned even redder. She made a weak attempt of nodding her head. Miroku took her into a hug but avoided eyes contact out of emberassment. _

_Neither knew that Inuyasha was crouching a little ways off and heard the whole thing._

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((I was never good at Miroku and Sango's personalities...but did I get them close enough?

Reviews please!))


	13. Kagome gets kimonos

((these chapters are going by so fast! AH! I'm so horrible at making similar personallities to Sango and Miroku!! TT.TT))

* * *

"Miroku?" Sango whisered as she entered the hut. He sat up on the back wall holding his staff like he always did. She smiled and went over to him. 

"So..." He looked up at her, with his special look on his face. She kneeled in front of him and began to say something but he pulled her head towards him and kissed her. At first she was pulling back, but then let herself onto Miroku with a sigh. He held her to him, hugging her around the shoulders.

When Sango pulled away, Miroku reached for her kimono, indicating to remove it. At first she hesitated, then let him take off her belongings. Sango did the same for him. Then he leaned her back away from the wall and kissed her again. She was surprised to find her body moving to the way Miroku was moving, she was glad it was dark so he wouldn't see her blush.

Sango moaned in a low tone as Miroku didn't even wait to tease her, he had already started to enter her.

Miroku staretd to move a little faster with each time he moved, and a little harder. Sango was overfilling with joy and fear at the same time, she was afraid she might wake up or find she was died. But the burst of pleasure that ran through her untire body told her otherwise.

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The glare of morning shone through the cracks in the little room where Kagome lay. She could smell something really good cooking, and a lot of other smells filled her nose too but this scent was the so filling that she consentrated on it. She felt so tired she didn't even want to move.

The night before she had seperated herself from the group and came in here to sleep alone. She had barred the door and locked the shutters. But the sun was so bright that it shone through it all and the moring dew and mist flowed in the air, making everything seem like a smokey dream.

Now she opened her eyes, at first everything was blurry from her sleepyness. She blinked a few times trying to wake up, and everything came into focus. Wait! It was more than focused...it was better! Everything she looked at came in a sharper and clearer vision. Confused she rested her hand on her head, the new smells and sights seemed so overwhemling to her that she was starting to get a headache.

Then next came all the sounds, she could her birds loud as guns, she could here poeple waking up, moving, dressing, whispering. From the kitchen she heard clatter of plates and cracks of fire as cooks rushed around to fix breakfast, that would explain the smell. Then something ontop of her head moved, more like twitched.

Startled, she felt around the top of her head, and found something fuzzy.

Now, not really remembering anything, Kagome got up and stumbled out of her little hut, she rubbed her eyes from the sudden brightness of everything. She breathed in the air, spicey, sweet, food, animals, she could smell everything! She looked down at her hands, still soft and slim, but now she had grown claws like Inuyasha. She observed them with a blank expression on her face.

Slowly she made her way to a bucket of water, and peared inside. Her face was the same, but she had black dog ears on her head. Her normal ears were gone and now she had these. Her mouth came open, and she saw the two fangs that grew at the front of her mouth where her old human k-nine teeth were no longer. And her eyes weren't brown anymore. They were golden-yellow and the pupil was slanted as a filines, just like Inuyasha's eyes were.

Kagome felt her skin, still soft. Well, maybe a bit softer. She felt stronger too, like she needed to do something exciting! Anything to get this energy out. But she stood there, staring at her reflection.

Behind her she heard footsteps, she could smell someone familiar. "Finally, you're awake. I-" Inuyasha said with a hint of annoyance.

"Inuyasha, it happened. It really did." She turned and looked at him, looking into his eyes. She smiled at him, "Look! It Really-"

"Yeah I can see that. Now are you gonna come eat or what?"

She nodded with that kind of soft smile of her's, Inuyasha felt a little guilty snapping at her, but brushed it off.

"Keade says she wants to see you." Inuyasha said with a huff.

"What for?" Kagome wondered.

"How should I know? The old woman wouldn't tell me anything."

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"Lady Keade?"

"Ye are finally awake child! I thought that ye were going to sleep the whole day through. And I see ye already starting to change from ye old human form." Keade didn't wait for Kagome to answer.

"Anyways, I have something to give ye. Since ye will be staying in the feudal era with us..." The priestess bent down and brushed a load of blankets off a big wooden chest. It looked a little heavy by the way Keade dragged it out.

Kagome opened the lid and took out a red kimono. It was beautifull; it was a lot like Inuyasha's but it was lighter and softer.

"It is made from the same cloth as Inuyasha's kimono. His father had made it for Izouai. She had given it to Kikyo to hold on to because she had no use for them. And when my sistetr died they fell into my care. I imagine they should belong to ye now. Especially if ye 'tend to be Inuyasha's mate."

Kagome lifted the box, but surprisingly she could lift it easily.

"Ah! The wish has taken it's full affect has it now?"

Kagome nodded and getting hungrier said her goodbies and thank yous and left.

She made her way back to her own little hut and changed into the red kimono. Keade had said it was the same cloth as Inuyasha's...the cloth of the fire rat. It was so comfterble! Kagome had thanked Keade many times for it. But the old priestess just told her to take care of it, and when Kagome had looked through the rest of the box, she found many silken kimono's. Ones for festivals, and dances, for battles, and for all kinds of occasions. She couldn't believe that Izouai had possetion of suck riches!

As much as she wanted to try them all on, Kagome was really becoming hungry to this scent of food. So she closed the chest and threw her old uniform aside as she.

Sango and Miroku sat unusually close together at breakfast. They didn't say a word, but smelling their scent all over each other KAgome knew. Shippo and Inuyasha were fighting over food us they usually did when she stepped into the room.

"Wow! Kagome! You've got a kimono like Inuyashas!" Shippo examined it excitedly.

"Where's you get that?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Keade gave a whole chest of them to me. She thought I'd better start wearing things more appropiate for the feudal era."

"Whatever." He continued eating.

Kagome sat down too, and started eating all she could. What an appitite! But she didn't care she was just so hungry. And for some reason her middle felt really tight and a little swollen. Had she gained weight with her transformation? Or was it...?

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((I didn't know how to exactly spell Inuyasha's mothers name, sorry! But at least it's done. Reviews please!)) 


	14. A New Quest and Problems

((I've been so busy I haven't found time to get online. I'm sorry, but I'll get this chapter up in no time!))

* * *

Kagome put her hand on her stomach, maybe she ate too much too quick? She shrugged it off. and stuffed another rice cake into her mouth. 

"This food is great Keade! Thanks."

"Feh, it's okay," Inuyasha gruffed threw a mouthfull.

Miroku looked at Kagome quizickly, "So, I guess this is a sign that you're here to stay right?"

"Well, I'm not sure."

Sango pointed with her utensils, "The sacred jewel is gone. And you've turned into a half demon like Inuyasha. Keade said you had only one choice between one or the other so..."

"Jeez, would you stop nagging her? It gets a little old!" Inuyasha stood waving a fish in one hand.

"Sit down Inuyasha. Finish your breakfast then you can go yell at whomever you want," Keade pulled on the back of his kimono making him fall back to the ground.

He quickly sat up growling, "Don't tell me what to do you old hag!"

"SIT!"

BAM!

Everyone looked over to the little crater shaped like Inuyasha's body, and the poor hynou moaning in pain.

"Idiot," Shippo mumbled.

Sango, now at the door, turned towards the group, "I'm going to go get some supplies and herbs. Anyone want to come."

Inuyasha pouted in silence as she, Miroku, and Shippo walked threw the huts' door.

"Inuyasha, you want to come with me?"

"For what?" He asked trying to be uninterested.

"I don't know, help me pack what we need to get set off," Her smile was unbarable to ignore. "Lets just spend some time together."

Inuyasha turned his head to look her in the eye, his face went blank and he ended up staring at Kagome's smile as she held out her hand. Before she noticed, he caught himself, "Whatever."

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Both were the hut that Kagome had sleeped in. She was showing Inuyasha all the things that Keade had given to her and organizing them afterwards.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome sat on the floor next to him, her ears twitched. She still wasn't used to all the new sounds and smells.

"What?"

"Do you like spending time with me?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"You've just seemed to be a little off around me today."

Inuyasha smirked, "Feh, and why would you think I'd be doing that?"

Kagome put her hand to her mouth thoughtfully. Something wasn't right, were they missing something?

Sango came threw the opening now dressed in her battle garments, "We're ready to set off Kagome."

"Alright," She looked at Inuyasha, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Lets go," She took him by a strand of his hair out of the hut.

Instead of taking off flying, they set out on foot through the forest paths. Shippo hung onto Kagomes' neck being as it were he was so small.

"What are we doing exactly?" Inuyasha said in protest.

"Don't you remember? We're going to look for Kohaku," Kagome gave him a look.

"What?! But I thought we had agreed to wait until he found us?"

"Well, Sango was getting worried," Shippo poked his head around Kagomes' shoulder.

"But that little brat could be anywhere!"

"I know...that's why we have to try to find him. Don't forget, Kagura and all the demons made from Naraku are still alive, Inuyasha," Miroku hit him on the head with his staff.

"Ow! Why's you...?"

"So he could still be with Kagura?" Sango asked.

"Well, yes and no. Remember she had sent him on various tasks in the past? She could've sent him on one before Naraku was killed," Miroku pointed out.

"But does he really have all his memory back?"

"Unfortunatlly, yes." Miroku said in a grim like tone.

"Mmm." Sango sighed to herself.

"Oh, shut up already! He's alive isn't he? We're going to find him and that's all that matters," Inuyasha said gruffly, his arms crossed.

Kagome twiched her ears, shecould hear something like a strong tornado blowing towards them. She sniffed, and smelled wolf. Inuyasha was already upset about the closing-in scent.

Kouga was soon in sight. And even though Naraku had stolen both the jewel shards in his legs, he could still run pretty fast. He walked toward her in that special walk of his, pushing past Inuyasha.

"Kagome...you're..." He grabbed her hand as he always had done. One because he loved to feel her soft skin, and two because he knew it made the mutt jealous.

"Become a half demon. Yeah about that..." She smiled goofily.

"And you're wearing a kimono. What happened to your old cloths?"

"I, uh."

Inuyasha got between them and pushed him away, "Hey Kouga! You keep your dirty wolf paws off of her!"

"You back off mutt! She's my woman, I've claimed her as my own!"

Inuyasha reached for his sword, but before he could weild it, Kagome had sat him and he lay in a crater shaped like his body.

Kouga chuckled to himself, "Serves you right, damn mutt!"

Kagome, still with her silly grin, tried to keep Kouga busy so he and Inuyasha wouldn't eat each other, "Kouga, what did you want?"

"Hm? Oh that...heh, just checking up on my woman. Naraku has been destroyed, so I no longer have to wait to take you as mine."

"Oh you heard about that already."

"Everybody knows about it by now."

"Oh," Kagome couldn't figure out why she felt surprised about it. Alot of demons and humans had been after Naraku to make sure he died, so it wasn't going to be long before news of his killing was spread.

Inuyasha, who had now recovered from his 'siting', now angerly pulled Kouga back by his hair, "Listen wolf boy I don't have the time to..."

But Kouga ripped out of his grip and kicked off Inuyasha stomache into the air, Inuyasha crippling to the ground. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo stood to the side, eyes wide and just looking from one k-nine to the other. "They're such idiots," Shippo stated.

"Indeed they are fools." Miroku agreed nodding his head.

"I don't think Kouga knows yet that they have already..." Sango trailed off, remember there was a child present.

"That wasn't...fair, Kouga!" Inuyasha yelled to him.

"Shut up!" Kouga looked from Inuyasha to Kagome and calmed his tone, "I'm here for Kagome, so if you'll excuse me." He jumped into the air, landing in front of Kagome and picked her up bridal style. She, not knowing what to do and looking distorted, tried as usual to tell Kouga politely yet anxiously, "Kouga...uh...don't...Kouga! KOUGA!" She screamed as he made his way to the top of trees, jumping from top to top.

Inuyasha, enraged that the wolf had the guts to waltz up and just take Kagome like that, started yelling curses after him. Sango was already on Kirara, "Inuyasha! C'mon, we'll follow them." Miroku sat behind Sango with Shippo hanging off his neck. Inuyasha ran though, behind the giant feline and the rest, thinking to himself.

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((There! Sorry it's short, but I wanted to get it up a.s.a.p. Enjoy!))


	15. Inuyasha to the rescue

((Okay, I have a little more free time so this might not take me so long))

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"Kouga!" Kagome yelled from on top of his back as he carried her running, "Kouga, stop!" She looked back, Inuyasha and Kirara looked farther and farther away with each second. 

"Hold on Kagome, your suffering with that idiot is over," Kouga said planning in his head to take her back to the caves where his pack resided. But something was different about her, he could smell something on Kagome. Was it Inuyasha? Her? A mix? Kouga had a fleeting thought, but quickly shook it away_. 'No! He wouldn't...He wouldn't dare!_'

"Kouga!" Kagome screamed again, as he started up the side of the cliff. By now the rest of them seemed like little spects.

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_'Damnit, damnit, damnit! Damn that stupid wolf! Carying her off like that as if he owned her! The bastered...I'll rip him to shreds.'_ Inuyasha could see Kouge far ahead. But he didn't realy need to follow, he knew where he was headed right? The only place he has to take her.

This thought infuriated him, he could feel the burn of hate boil in his stomach and mind and soul. He found himself gaining on the wolf...and fast!

Sango couldn't believe her eyes, "Look at that!"

"Inuyasha's fast...I've never seen him this fast!" Shippo awed.

"It's because of Kagome, this has happened before with the gardian of the forest when he attacked. Whenever she's involved there's some invisable strength in him that surpasses many demon," Miroku explained.

"Well it's either that or he just realy hates that Kouga," Shippo grumbled.

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"Inuyasha?! How'd he-"

Inuyasha came down feet first onto Kouga's back, crashing his entire body into the ground. Kouga lost his grip on Kagome, who had thrown herself toward Inuyasha.

"He's finally lost it," Inuyasha mumbled.

"What the hell do you think your doing?!" Inuyasha snarled as Kouga stumbled to his feet. "What makes you think you could just take her like that?!"

Kouga sprinted full force toward him, and turned kicking his stomach and knocking him backwards. "In case you don't recall, this woman belongs to me. I've claimed her as my own."

Kagome was off to the side, out of range, yelling at Kouga as he fought Inuyasha, "For the last time Kouga, I'm not property you can just claim like that I-"

Inuyasha stood, wiping the tiny stream of blood on the corner of his mouth, "I've got news for you wolf...you're too late."

"What do you-Forget it! I don't have time for you. I've got something else planned." With that, Kouga spun into the air coming down onto Inuyasha with all his force, driving Inuyasha even deeper into the ground. "Now crawl back home mutt."

Kagome started towards him, but Kouga too soon swooped her up again, her head spun from the drastic change from ground to air.

Sango and Miroku appeared just in time to see this happen, both attemping and failing to stop Kouga. They jumped off Kirara as her feet touched the ground, running over to a struck down, and furious Inuyasha.

"That basterd..." He almost yelled as he got back up.

Sango looked up, "It's amazing how he can still be so fast without his shards in his legs." She looked back at Inuyasha, growling to himself, "It's not like we don't know where he's going, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, he's most likely going to take her to his den." Shippo climbed on Inuyasha's shoulder.

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Finally, after what seemed forever, he stopped in front of a few unfamiliar cave entrances that Kagome hadn't seen. It was close to the other dens, where he had first taken her to. He urgded her inside, ignoring all her protests.

Kagome faced him angerly stiff yet her face was flushed, "Kouga! Whatever it is you brought me here for, I don't want to have any part in!" She glanced around relizing the rest of his pack...who called her sister...were looking exactly at her. She took a breath, "Listen, there's a-"

"Kagome...wait," Kouga took both of her hands and pressed them to his chest, "I had promised to come back for you once Naraku was taken care of. I had claimed you as mine."

"Not-not realy."

"Well, not officially-but I'm going to change that...tonight."

Kagome grew tongue tied and put her head down sheepishly.

Kouga turned to the pack, "Go back to the other caves...If that mutt Inuyasha shows up, tell him nothing and get rid of him. Be carefull though...I don't want any blood of ours on his hands."

The other wolves made whistling noises and clapped a little even, as Kouga took Kagome to the back of the cave. It was a small entrance, and the room was smaller. There was fur lining the floor and walls and covered a small cot made of some hay. It looked rather cozey, and Kagome would have liked to be there...if the circumstances were different that is.

He turned her sharply around, before she could protest his lips came into contact with hers'. He wasn't like Inuyasha...He was rough, and almost forcefull. Kagome tried to pull away, but the more she did the more Kouga held her to him. He quickly dispached of her shirt, making progress on her skirt. He seemed as though he didn't mind having all the control.

Kagome couldn't do anything, she was so weak compared to him, she gave as much resistance as the wolf would give her. But this seemed to his liking, and only aroused him further.

She wanted to cry out when her bare skin was fully exposed to Kouga, there was a sharp tugging at her stomach and lower body. It too was trying to reject him. The farther Kouga went, the harder the pull became. When his hand went too low for comfort, the tugging had sharply turned into an unbearable pain. She started to cry from it even. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away, but failed as it found it's target making movements rougher than Inuyasha. Her crying became heavier.

By now, though, Kagome felt weak, her body felt as though it had pulled itself apart and then gave out on her. It was as though that movement had given Kouga the control of her own body. His breathing became heavy, he licked the tears from her face laying her down.

"Kouga...stop it..." She pleaded quietly. But he seemed to not even hear her. He took her lips again roughly, she felt a warm, thick liquid run from her lips and she knew she was bleeding. She wanted to cry out.

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"Damn him...Damn him. DAMN HIM." Inuyasha came into the mouth of the cave. Seeing the site of wolves sitting there as if nothing was out of the ordinary made him furious. "Where did he go?!"

"Who?"

"That basterd of a demon, Kouga. Where did he go?!" Inuyasha snarled.

The wolves didn't look at him, just shrugged. This made him even angier. He grabbed one of Kougas' closer wolf partners by his neck and lifted him roughly into the air, "I know you all know where he is...I don't have the patience to mess with you, tell me where he went." He ordered lowly.

The wolf in his grasp shook and seemed frightened, the rest stood up in his defence. Inuyasha looked at them, "Where is Kagome?"

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Kouga had started to make movements ontop of Kogaomes' body, he started to whisper something, but Kagome didn't want to listen. He bent to her ear, "You are going to be mine."

She took the advantage and yelled out for Inuyasha, forcing all of her strength into her voice.

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Inuyasha turned quickly to the entrance of the wolves cave, throwing the wolf aside, and ran out. He listened again, but couldn't hear anything else. He jumped up the mountain a few hundred _jin_ before he smelled Kagome. Her smell was sharp at first but dimmed beneath the smell of Kouga, Inuyasha's rage was unimaginable. He followed the scent into a smaller cave.

Coming into the cave was one thing, but walking to the back and seeing Kouga pinning his Kagome, and her smell becoming so weak was another. The wolf seemed surprised to see him when he stormed toward him. Inuyasha grabbed Kouga by his neck and threw him away, his back slamming into the cave wall. Crimson dropplets fell to the floor.

Inuyasha stood in front of Kagome, who quickly gathered her clothes, putting them on as fast as she could with trembling hands.

"How dare you." Inuyasha said in a dangerously low voice, "How dare you, basterd."

Kouga gathered back on his feet, "I'll get you for this."

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, she was still trembling and looking distressed. He looked back at the wolf, "You just signed for your funeral damn wolf, before I didn't have a reason to kill you. And you just gave me one."

Kouga lunged at Inuyasha, his hand drawn back ready to punch, but Inuyasha speedily caught his arm and threw him back against the cave wall, "You should be ashamed of yourself, doing this to Kagome."

Kagome stood weakly and stumbled to Inuyashas' side, "If you had listened Kouga...I was trying to tell you," She held her fist to her chest, "You should have listened."

"If you had given her a chance you would have found out that I've already given her all I could, and she willingly gave the same to me. You have no right to interrupt that bond by trying to force yourself onto her, you basterd."

"Shut up...you're lying!" Kouga protested.

"If I had the time to mess with you I'd kill you here and now. But..." Inuyasha took hold of Kagome gently, "I can't with Kagome here." This sounded so unlike Inuyasha, Kagome looked at his face and could tell he wanted Kouga dead now. So why is he...?

Inuyasha was basically in, beat the pulp out of Kouga, and out again as fast as he could be. The cave blurred away and the sky was darkening, Kagome looked up into Inuyasha's face and relaxed completely feeling safe.

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Sorry this one took so long guys...I've been having some problems that I worked out. They had my attention for a while but I finally took the time to get back on my fanfic. I hope you're all still reading, enjoy. 


	16. Kohaku

((Enter Sesshomaru! - You know, I don't think the anime ever really tells us how old Rin was when Kagome was fifteen o-0 ...I guess it's not hard to guess. Kohaku was about thirteen then wasn't he? o-0 Wow...he'll be eighteen then...OMG))

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Kagome placed another log onto the fire, listening to it crack and smelling the arouma of burning pine. She's never missed the smell more. Inuyasha sat against a tree not too far away, looking up into the sky dreamily. Neither said anything. 

Only hours earlier Inuyasha had taken her out of the hands of Kouga, who had horridly forced himself onto her. Inuyasha had quickly saved Kagome and ran out of the cave with her in his arms. He had smelled wolf all over her. Her face had been of complete horrer when he met her in the wolf den. She seemed frightened and shaking terribly. But when he took her up and caried her out, her body had completely relaxed, and her eyes closed. Something about that moment stuck into his mind.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were left behind when Inuyasha ravegily stormed into the caves. And they were probably waiting at a campsite nearby. But hee hadn't wanted to take her back to the others' right away. He wanted time with her.

So here they were, she had started a fire. But all he could think about was how she had relaxed in his arms, all he could do was daydream. Every now and then he caught Kagome look at him. She wasn't talking, why, he wondered.

But he didn't know what to say either. His eyes fixed on a star, he tried to put the event out of thought.

Kagome glanced at him again, Inuyasha still wasn't looking. Was he ignoring her? Is he mad? She put her hand onto her stomach, thinking of her child, Inuyasha's child. She giggled a little at the thought...those two words together...Inuyasha's child.

"What are you laughing at?" Inuyasha asked blankly, but softer than usual.

Kagome looked at him for a moment, then to the fire shaking her head. Her eyes filled with tears, now as she thought of her mother and Sota...and Grampa. What were they doing? What was going through their heads? How was Hojo? And her friends? Her mind raced over all the things that have happened. Just to make sure she hadn't been dreaming, she reached up. She felt the fuzzy dog-shaped ear ontop her head, then felt where her ears would be...they were gone. She bit her lip...fangs. She looked at her claws...sharp. It was true, everything that's happened the past few weeks have been true.

She felt a sudden warmth embrace her and saw a blurr of red.

"What is it Kagome?" Inuyasha asked softly, leaning his head onto hers.

"What do you think about me being...half demon? Does it change your perspective?"

"Not at all. I still have every ambition of protecting you no matter what. And You're still my Kagome."

She hesitated to gather her first thoughts, "Inuyasha? Have you thought about...um...well...our..."

His hand went to her stomach, and he stroked it lovingly, "Yes, I have."

Kagome felt her blush, she lost her words and thoughts. Her mind was at ease in Inuyasha's protection. But one thing still bothered her, why had she been so weak against Kouga if she were half demon?

"Inuyasha...why did Kouga have...so much more strength than I did? Why couldn't I fight him off?"

Inuyasha was quiet, thinking, then replied, "You were taken by surprise. Your senses were in shock. You're still only getting used to them so under such unexpectedness, and your comand to fight at the same time...was hard on you. Don't worry though. Once you get the hang of this half demon stuff, you'll be fighting things like that with your strength by instinct."

Kagome nodded her head, "That makes sense. But I hope I catch on quickly."

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"Master Sesshomaru! Master Sesshomaru!" Rin stumbled along some upgrowing roots trying to keep up with him. "Wait!"

Jaken glared at the girl with jealousy, nowadays when the girl is five years older, she was constantly grabbing at his Masters' attention. If he was to fall back would Master Sesshomaru even notice? He grumbled, "Stupid girl." He wondered why the master even bothered bringing a girl of 13 along with him. Why not just dump her in a village, or sell her as a slave? He couldn't imagine that his Master had grown a liking to the human. Then he looked back at the boy that staggered along with them.

_'And what about him? Why are we bothering with this one? If I remember he's the same boy that had held Rin prisoner, and Sesshomaru almost killed him trying to get to her.'_ He glared hatefully to the boy. But his head was towards the ground, he looked as though he was having trouble with his shoulder. As if it were in pain. The recall of meeting and picking up the boy came back to Jaken...

_Sesshomaru was off doing one of his quests, leaving the girl with Jaken again. The boy had stubled through the wood, and seemed to not even notice them._

_Jaken of course, started interigating him, "Boy, what are you doing here? What is you want? Answer incolent child!"_

_The boy hadn't answered, he looked up werily, "Please, I don't come to fight. I just ask to pass through, I'm trying to get to get away from the village. I think I had remembered something...important. I'm looking for..." he paused, as though trying to recall._

_"What boy? What?" Jaken became impatient._

_"I...don't know."_

_"Ha! That's idiotic! How can you be looking for it if you don't know what it is?"_

_"I thought I knew...Maybe I'll know it when I get there."_

_"What's your name?" Sesshomaru's voice came from behind them all, making Jaken freak. Jakens' limbs all flaild through the air, and he quickly turned and bowed._

_"Master Sesshomaru! This boy just rudly walszed up here asking such ridiculous quiestions. I tried to get rid of him but he refused to-" A rock hit his head and he fell over._

_Sesshomaru looked at the boy again, "What is your name?"_

_The boy look ed quizically to the ground, thinking hard, "I think it might be Koharu, sir."_

_Sesshomaru stood a moment saying nothing. Then he turned, "Koharu is it?" He started to walk, "Jaken, get Ah-uhn and lets go." _

_"Yes sir!" Jaken grabbed Ah-uhns' bridle, dragging him along._

_Rin giigled up to Koharu, and tugged at his sleeve, "Come with us! I'll help you find...uh...Whatever it is your looking for." Her smile was so inviting, that Koharu couldn't refuse._

That had been over a week ago. Now, Jaken was stuck with two humans. One of 13 and one coming of 18. He had figured out that the boy had lost most of his memory, but he gained little by day. Like he remembered living in a village with family. And he remembered Naraku having control over him. He told these things to Rin, she listened

Sesshomaru walked without looking at any of his followers, then stopped. Rin, behind him, looked at his facewith interest. "What are we doing Master Sesshomaru?"

"Yes why have you stopped?" Jaken asked.

Sesshomaru stood as wind flowed through his silver, silky hair. He could tell it was similar to the boys'. Was it a relitive he was looking for?

"Kohaku..."

"Yes...?" He nervously replied. Sesshomaru hadn't spoken to him before this, mind the first meeting.

"Do you remember...your sisters name?"

Kohaku's eyes grew wide, a flash of black and pick going through his mind. He hadn't even remembered a sister, "N-no, sir."

Sesshomaru stayed silent, then walked into a different direction. The three of them followed unquiestionally. Rin and Kahoru looked at each other and shrugged.

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((Wow, that one was quick. Short...but still. Pretty good after months of neglect. Reviews please...)) 


	17. Reunited, Surfacing Feelings

((Thanks for the reviews guys! They're my motivation for writing more! ...Wow, it's still on the night of Kagome's kidnapping with Kouga o.0 Better get the story moving soon.))

(( I noticed in the last chapter I had put "Sora" instead of "Sota" for Kagomes' brother. I went back and fixed it. Don't take it as the Sora from Kingdom Hearts. It was a misspelling, and I'm sorry to those of you who have read it already.))

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Sango and Miroku sat side by side, Shippo was teasing Kirara with a peice of string a little off to the side of them at the base of a huge oak. He was on his stomach chuckling every now and then when Kirara would attempt to pounce on the string, but he swished it to the side right before she could land on it. It was quite amusing to him. There was a small fire going to aid light in the pitch black of night. 

Sango's mind went back to a few nights ago...The night when Miroku had asked to meet her alone. She thought of the way he had talked to her, the way his eyes looked at her, the way he had whispered. Her heart was pounding just thinking about it. She looked over at him in the corner of her eyes...What was he thinking? She noticed he was looking at her too! She quickly turned away, feeling her face get hot.

"What is it?" Miroku's tone did nothing less than make her heart leap.

"N-nothing," she did her best to hide her blush. There was a pause, "I was just, thinking."

"About?"

She took a moment to breath, "About the other night."

Miroku looked away, he could see she was slightly uncomfortable, "I have too...been thinking about it."

Sango was surprised, he hadn't been acting any different than his old self. She didn't know what to say...she had answered his quiestion and he had stopped prying her.

"Does this mean you'll stop flirting with other woman?"

"I'm kind of entitled not to now."

Sango looked down as though she wished she could believe it but doubted.

"Sango..." He turned to look at her. "I really ment it...the other night."

Shippo looked up, "What about the other night?"

Both of them snapped their heads towards the fox, then realized he had been listening. Miroku pretended to stretch as though he hadn't heard the quiestion. Sango felt her face get hot and she quickly replied, "Nothing, Shippo, nothing happened."

"Then what was it you two were whispering about?" Shippo sat up, his stomach a little sore from him laying on it so long.

"It-"

But just then Miroku got up as a noise was made; He looked into the distance in the direction he had heard it as the other three were silent, straighning to hear it too.

"Miroku, what is it?" Sango asked in a hushed voice.

"Someone's coming."

Sesshomaru came through the bushes and stood still in front of them all, Miroku stood protectively, Sango got up standing behind him, Kirara's furr rose on end as she angerly hissed, and Shippo, shocked, stood perfectly still.

There was a moment of uneasyness before anything was said or done.

"Isn't that Inuyasha's older brother?" Shippo nervously quiestioned.

"Inuyasha isn't here?" Sesshomaru calmly and emptyly asked.

"No he isn't." There was slight anger in Mirokus' voice, "That's the only reason you ever come isn't it? Just to seek him out to take his Tetsaiga."

"I'm not here for Inuyasha, fortunatly for him."

"Then what are you here for?" Sangos' voice showed accusment.

"I didn't come here to fight. I merely wish to rid myself of a burden."

All of them were surprised and confused.

"What is he talking about?" Sango was talking to Miroku as if he knew any more than she did.

"Consider it a gift." Sesshomaru turned around and spoke to whoever was behind him, "Come here."

Rin came first leading the hand of someone who, once Sango saw his face, almost made her want to cry. Her body suddenly turned cold and she couldn't move or swallow.

Miroku didn't know what to think. He was amazed by Sango's brother being there out of no where, and by how much older the girl who always was with Sesshomaru, was now than how she was as a child. The thought was fleeting though.

"Kohaku? That's..."

"Yes, I thought you might want him back now that Naraku has been destroyed. I found him alone...lost."

Kohaku looked confused, he probably was as much as Sango was. He seemed like he didn't even recognize her.

"Kohaku...I will leave you now. These people will take you in." Sesshomaru turned, walked back the exact way he came, the girl hesitated but then she instincitvely followed Sesshomaru. Rin looked back at Kohaku, feeling sorry for him. Sesshomaru caught this glimpse, did she have feelings for him? Angery with himself, he quickly dismissed the thought.

Sango reached out to the boy, her eyes were misty and she smiled. "You're finally out of Naraku's grip? You can finally come back to me?" She spoke quietly as if afraid to wake herself from a dream, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Shippo started to say something, but Miroku quickly covered his mouth. This was a situation for Sango and her brother and it wouldn't be right for them to interrupt right now.

"He said I had a sister, or at least...I think he did. I don't remember anything like that though."

Sango's heart sank, "Oh, your memory is still lost."

"Huh," Kohaku didn't understand, "My memory?"

She was quiet for a moment her smile became sad, "Nevermind. You'll remember in time, your memory will come back slowly."

Now Miroku decided to intrude, "Come, lets sit and eat something." He sat near the fire.

"Thank you." Kohaku said, out of politeness.

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Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's face, his eyes were closed. She had layed down on her side, he had layed next to her, rested his head on his hand almost directly above her. She knew as soon as she fell asleep, he'd go keep whach up in the tree as he usually did.

"Inuyasha..."

"Yeah."

"When are we going to Sango and Miroku?"

"Feh, I'm tired, we'll catch them tomarrow."

Kagome felt something had take place, not horrible, just something. She uneasily closed her eyes to sleep.

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"Master Sesshomaru how come you never dropped me off like that?" Rin asked as they had walked quite a distance. But she was used to such walks, being as she's done this for years now.

He didn't answer. She knew he wouldn't if she pried him, but she wanted to know.

They came to where they had left Jaken and Ah-Uhn, Jaken imediatly jumped up excitedly, "Master Sesshomaru!" And as always, he did his best to ignore Rin. "You'r back, was it true? Is that woman really his sister?"

"They're none of my concern now."

Jaken looked grugdingly at Rin, "Why didn't you ditch this welp along with him? She'd-ACK!"

Sesshomaru had Jaken by the neck, his grip tightening, "That's enough, Jaken." He demanded calmly, but angerly. Then dropped the toad on the ground carelessly.

"Y-yes, master Seshomaru." Jaken obeyed weakly.

Rin wasn't sure but, did Sesshomaru just show anger, for her? Well, she almost asked the same quiestion than Jaken, why didn't he ditch her? She felt her heart flutter a bit but shrugged it off_. 'Sesshomaru would never feel anything like that._'

Sesshomaru didn't let Rin see his face...he knew it showed no emotion but he was just a little bit annoyed that he would jump to protect her like that. Though Jaken was just talking, but he had no right to call use that tone while talking about Rin. What was going on with him? He's a demon, he can't be...for a human?...It's just not possible.

* * *

((Another short chapter...Tell me if you like the fluffyness going on between Rin and Sesshomaru - Oh, you guys know it's like five years later? Rins' older...so it's not like it's creepy or anything. o.0 Just making sure some know.)) 


	18. A new quest

((More chapters x3 Exitement is now watered down...What's a story without it's casual parts?))

((You know...in the anime Sesshomaru never sits, eats, sleeps...or really ever stops walking? o.0 That could make the story a little difficult))

* * *

"Inuyasha! Come here!" Kagome yelled, from Keade's hut. 

"No." He sat in a tree lazily, his hands rested on his stomach, eyes annoyedly closed.

Kagome had been calling him for over an hour to come inside with her to eat. But he had been sulking like this ever since Sango had told him about Sesshomaru coming and dropping Kohaku, then leaving. He was also upset about the boy being _again_ in their little group. He still didn't trust him, even if Naraku was dead.

Shippo ran past Kagome, running from a group of village children he had befreinded and was playing a game of tag with. It was a game Kagome had taught him when he was bored, and she figured he had taught the rest of them.

"Come on Inuyasha, aren't you hungry?"

"No."

Kagome, now a little angry at his ignorance, stomped up to the tree, looked up, and with her claws slashed through the trunk. The result was the tree falling, and Inuyasha ending up on the ground looking dumbfounded. She had caught onto her scents quickly, and was getting the hang of them.

"W-what'd you go and do that for?!" He stammered.

"I just want you to come and eat and stop this pathetic sulking your doing."

"I'm not hugery I told you!"

"Please."

"No."

"Ugh, you're impossible!" She went back into the hut.

It had been a full, uneventfull week since Kouga's fiasco and Kohaku's appearance. Nothing seemed to have changed around the place. Well, they had Sangos' brother now and he wasn't under a spell anymore; Kagome hadn't figured out how he's alive if they had the entire jewel, even the shard from his back. But she knew no one would know better than her and she wouldn't ask. And Kagome was noticing a growing closeness between Sango and Miroku. And Miroku hadn't asked any girls to have his child. She could smell their scent all over each other. If Kagome didn't know any better, she'd think that they were...

"Kagome, why are you staring at Miroku like that?" Sango asked

"I was? Oh...sorry. I was just thinking." She looked at Sango, then at Miroku, then back at Sango. They looked like they had something to say. "What?"

Miroku smiled goofily, "Oh, it's nothing, Lady Kagome. I just can't get over seeing you with ears and fangs...and claws." He waved his hand as a dismissal gesture while the other was groping Sango. She, in return, pinched his side angerly.

Kagome sighed looking behind her out the hay-strung, door.

"Inuyasha sure hasn't improved his attitude." Sango remarked.

"Tell me about it."

"Do you want anything to eat Kohaku?" Sango turned to the corner where her brother sat quietly.

He smiled and moved over to her side, "Yes thank you."

Sango handed him a bit of the meal. He ate it moderatly. She hesitated before saying anything.

"Have you remembered anything yet?" Miroku asked him.

"Hmm?" Kohaku looked up, "Well not really. I've started to get a flash or two, but nothing really specific."

"Well, that's good. It means you're starting to gain your memory back. Even if it will be a little bit time."

Sango put her arm around the boys shoulders, "Just be gratefull that you are. I am." She smiled. He blushed.

Kagome chuckled as she shook her head, then finished her part of the food. She looked outside, it was midday. A very cool day. It was closing in on summer, the beginning of spring. At her school, they'd be getting ready for their summer vacation, at home mom was probably rushing around getting all the cleaning done, and...

She shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking about that. It will only make her sad.

Inuyasha now came into the hut, his face was, as always, angry and ignorant. He sat down and got himself some food, ignoring the boys presence.

Kagome smiled happily, he tried his hardest not to notice.

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Kagura leaned against a tree. her eyes closed in a thoughtfull way, she now had her freedom like she always wanted. She could feel her heart in her chest now, it wasn't just a cold, dead spot inside her body anymore.

Kana's black eyes were focused on the mirror, unmoving. Both had been silent for a while. "Kagura...what is it you are thinking of doing now?" She asked blankly.

Kagura looked at her, "We go find the resting place of Lehmor." She paused, letting herself smile, "He's a demon who took part in the war between the dog demon and the army of demon who had wanted to destroy all humans. I need to wake him and gain his power."

Kanaspoke in her soft, ghost-like voice, "Why do you want such a power sister?"

"Isn't it obvious Kana? With that kind of power, I could finally claim what's rightfully mine."

Kana didn't answer, but she also didn't understand. As far as she knew, Kagura hadn't really owned something of that value.

"When Naraku created me, he used a stone. It's called Fuku Denkou, it means _Wind and Lightning_. That was the source of my power. But he only allowed me to have limited power from the stone, then hid it with an amazingly strong demon that lays sleeping in protection of the stone. Lehmor knows where this demon is, and he has the power to destroy it."

"What if Lehmor does not want to help you?"

"I'll take care of that Kana." Kagura said flatly. She tapped her closed fan against her mouth looking behind her as if someone were there.

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"Master Sesshomaru? Where are we going?" Rin walked alongside him. He hadn't stopped walking for what seemed like forever, and hadn't spoke of what he intended, and she was curious. But as always he said nothing. This time Rin decided to keep pressing, "Master Sesshomaru?"

"We are going to a place." He said simply.

"Ooo. What kind of place? What are we going for? Is there something of value there?" Her smile was irresistable.

"There is something there I wish to show you."

Rin's voice trailed off, her smile fadded, and a lump grew in her throat. He...was taking her somewhere? He'd never done that.

Jaken was just as surprised, "Master Sesshomaru, you're going out of your way for _her?_" He knew, though, from earlier to not insult the child, as he would painfully regret it.

Sesshomaru said nothing. Rin was used to walking...But this was a little abnormal for him to keep walking on forever. Usually they would at least stop at a place and rest a few days before. But that was when Sesshomaru seemed to always have something to do...always had something he wanted done or to have. But lately, he hadn't really done that. So, that made it all the more strange.

Rin walked next to Sesshomaru, on his right where his hand was, wanting to get a glimpse of his face as much as possible. She would even catch herself reaching for the sleeve of his cloak. But now being 14 years of age she knew it was childish, so she drew her hand away.

Sesshomaru didn't let her know he was aware of her attempts. He found it rather...attractive. Although the past week he had been noticing his growing feeling for her, he also found that he had begun to like the girl in their years together. This, for some reason, made it easier for him to accept them. It was like an excuse for him.

Without even knowing it, his hand brused against her's. He didn't let it happen again. Though, her skin was soft and he wanted to make contact.

Rin didn't allow him to see her blush...She felt guitly for making their hands touch, she knew he wouldn't be very happy about it. He said nothing. She held her arm so she wouldn't be tempted again.

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Kouga, looked out of the den's opening. He looked down at his chest, at the wound that was trying to heal. He had more than that though, his arms, his back, even some of his face was covered in deep cuts and bruises.

The thought of him being beaten by Inuyasha infuriated him, how could he have let him hand out so many wounds? It was embarrassing. The other wolves could tell by his face that he wasn't to be messed with for quite a while.

"Kouga," one of them came up to him, "The pack is heading out to hunt...are you coming."

"No." The anger was clear.

The rest of them went out, almost tiptoeing past Kouga.

He thought to himself, Kagome had changed. She had ears and fangs...claws. Then he realized that...she had become like Inuyasha! She had bcome a half breed...mutt, as Kouga had once called it. She had tried to tell him something, had tried to...If he had been paying attention at the time he would have noticed that Inuyasha's scent was on her. As if they had...

Kouga shook his head, though the more he thought about it the more angry he felt. It all made sence to him now. But what was he supposed to do? His woman was now taken from him by his sworn enemy, should he kill him? But then what about Kagome? She's still just like him, she's stronger now too. He remembers the way he had to struggle against her. But, would that deny his partnership with her? Would that be like crossbreeding? So does that make it impossible for them to be together now, with or without Inuyasha?

Kouga was confused, he didn't know what to think anymore. But, the more it went through his mind, the more he was beginning to see that Kagome and he couldn't happen.

* * *

((Ugh! Running out of ideas quick, I had to add something new to keep Kagura and Kana on the scene. And if I don't end the story more new things will have to be added Argh! ))

(( But I made it like an update on _all _the characters in the story -))


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